Til Death Part and Reunites
by RedTailedHawkens
Summary: This is my first Mulit-chapter Revenge Fanfiction. Takes place after Finale of Season 2. Now that the cat is out of the bag, how will they move forward? Jemily.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Okay, so, my first Revenge Fanfiction didn't really get a lot of love, or at least, a lot of reviews, favorites, or follows, so maybe it is dumb of me to write another, but, what can I say, I am a huge Revenge fan. The only reason it took me so long to write one was because I did not feel I had the characters down enough. This is a Jemily fanfiction because I love them, and they belong together despite what anybody says, and after that Finale, we totally need more fanfictions for them. I mean, we've always needed more, but especially now. I want the show to come back tomorrow. Anybody with me on that?

I hope you like this story, but whether you do or you don't, please, please review and let me know what you think.

Have a good day, and enjoy.

'Til Death Parts and Reunites

Prologue

"And do you, Emily Thorne, take Daniel Grayson to be your lawfully wedded husband," Emily's eyes shone with utter and complete joy as she smiled at Daniel. She looked every inch the part of the in love bride, but a few in the crowd knew better, none better than one was Jack Porter. Emily could feel his stare. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him standing there, and she felt her heart break for the both of them, and for everything that had led to this moment. She wanted to look at him, to let her eyes tell him what she needed him to know, but she knew she couldn't, not as long as Daniel was looking. "-as long as you both shall live?" Daniel smiled at her, the love so plain in his eyes. She returned his smile, but she was unable to hold the tears back. She prayed he would see them as tears of joy. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a noise rang out. It was unmistakable, as was the destruction it implied, and the fear it elicited. Emily turned, looking for certain faces in the crowd, needing to know they were safe from the blast. Fear causes chaos, and hard as she tried, all Emily could see was running, and all she could hear was screaming. She felt somebody grab her hand to pull her to safety, but she pushed them off, heading into the throng.

* * *

Three Months Earlier

* * *

"Jack don't do it!" she called, pushing the door open.

"Emily, go away. This has nothing to do with you." she could see the anger in his eyes. It had been building for months now, and Declan had been the last straw.

"It has everything to do with me." Emily said through tears. After everything she had been through, every challenge she had faced, every time she had come within inches of death, she never remembered being this scared. She could lose Jack. Looking at him, seeing that familiar rage, the rage she herself recognized and welcomed as an old friend, she knew she could lose him in every possible way. She never should have let it get this far. "If I'd only left you alone from the beginning, none of this would be happening." She said, stepping in front of him, hoping to calm him. "Don't throw your life away because of the choices that I've made."

"What choices? What are you talking about?"

Looking at him, she saw that boy from the beach, the man who played with Sammy, the man who she had kissed over Sammy's dead body. Every side of Jack, all his potential, all of his love and trust and compassion. It was all still in him. The boy, the man she had loved was still there. He was not lost yet, not for good. He could still be saved. He could still be reminded that he was a good man with a good heart. He could be reminded that he was stronger than this. But, looking at him, she also saw another person. She saw herself, New Years Eve, 2002. She saw the anger, the bitter hatred, the thirst for revenge. She saw the person who had lost everything. She saw the person who was forgetting how to love, the person who was forgetting how to see the good. She saw everything she had tried to keep him from, everything she had never wanted him to feel. Every secret she had kept from him, every time she had pushed him away, it was to keep him from every coming here, to this place. It was a place of anger and hopelessness. It was a place she knew all too well, the place you went when you had nothing left to lose. And now, after everything, after every lie, she knew. There was only one thing that was going to get him to put that gun down.

"Jack, look at me." she said. And he did. Since the moment she had returned to The Hamptons, Emily had put up a mask. She had been hiding her true self. When she had first seen Jack again, she had willed every fiber of her being to retreat deep inside, to not let him see. Now, she was doing the opposite. She was taking the mask down. She was crying, real, honest tears. She was letting Amanda show, every part of her that she had learned to hide so well. She had spent so much time hiding, and now, all of her energy was going into willing Jack to see. "Deep down inside you've always known the truth." His eyes were on hers. Somebody once told Emily that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and she needed that to be true. She thought of every tear, and every smile, every moment that the carefree boy had looked into the young Amanda Clarke's eyes. And she willed it, with everything she had. Every ounce of her, her heart, her soul, her mind, everything was screaming it out. Because he did know, deep down, that much she knew, but she had to let him see it, and he had to be ready, and willing to believe it. And she hoped, and prayed, and willed it to happen._ Please, Jack. Please, see me. See what you have always known._ The tears started to form in his eyes, and she knew then, she knew he saw it. Even if he didn't want to, even if he was confused, he could see it. He looked at her tears, and her eyes, and he knew. He needed only for her to confirm it now, and she didn't hesitate, no matter how hard her heart was hammering in her chest. "I'm Amanda Clarke."


	2. Chapter One: Validation

Author's Note: Okay, so, here is chapter one. I hope you like it, and I look forward to your feedback. Have a nice day

Chapter One: Validation

Two Weeks Later

_Strength is a significant aspect of validity. To be valid, an argument must be strong. Without strength, an argument has no value, and if an argument has no value, nobody will believe it. But just as an argument must be strong to be valid, so must a person. Only the strong can validate themselves, while the weak need others to validate them, to make them feel valued and important._

_As a child, like many children, I sought validity through the love I received. If I knew I was loved, I knew I was valued, and once I no longer believed I was loved, I started to doubt the value in myself. I have since learned that I alone have the power to validate myself, and the second that I give that power away, I will revert back to that scared little girl who allowed herself to be defined by the love, or lack thereof, that others showed her._

* * *

_Declan is dead._ She had been repeating the same phrase in her head for the past two weeks now, but she still couldn't seem to wrap her head around it. It just didn't seem real. How could he be gone? How was it possible?

Charlotte lurched forward, heaving again. Morning sickness. She had been spending so much time in the bathroom lately. She even slept in there sometimes, but never when her mom was home. The Great Victoria Grayson would never allow it. She liked it though. Sure, throwing up wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it was comfortable in its own way. When she threw up, it was a reminder of what was growing inside her, and that was a reminder of Declan. The little, helpless being was all she had left of him. She wanted it to be safe, and loved. More than that, she wanted it to know how special it's father had been. And, she wanted it as far away from her family as possible.

After cleaning her mouth, Charlotte stood and dug her brochures out from under the bathroom sink. Pennsylvania. She had been thinking about it for a while. Once the baby was born, she was going. A small-town up north, far, far away from all this crazy. Charlie Clarke Porter, as she intended to go by, would start a life there. She would move to a small Amish community. It would take some adjusting to learn to live without technology, but it was the only way she could think to escape the Grayson name. She did not want anybody to recognize her. What she wanted was a fresh start. There was still a lot to figure out, a lot of planning, but she had time. She wasn't due for another six or seven months, as far as she could tell.

* * *

Jack thanked the Grayson employee and made his way into the monstrous home. Upon hearing Daniel's voice, he paused, curious.

"- do everything in my power to help."

"You keep saying that, but -"

"Emily, do you have any clue what kind of case they have against Nolan?" Daniel asked, trying to reason with his fiancé.

"You know he's innocent." Emily said angrily.

"Of course he is, but the legal system is more complicated than-"

"Don't talk to me about the legal system. I was there for every second of your incarceration; I know how complicated the legal system is. And don't forget, I never asked you to help Nolan, that was something you offered, insisted on, in fact, so I'm sorry if I'm getting frustrated that my _best friend _is still behind bars, after my fiancé promised me that he would do everything in his power to get him out."

"I am! I am doing everything in my power, just like you are, and your results are no better than mine. And yes, you didn't ask, but I could tell how important it was to you, and I love you, so of course I was going to try and help." There was a pause, "Besides, we both know that isn't what this is really about." Another pause. Jack was tempted to step out and see what was going on, but he didn't think he should reveal his presence just yet. "He's still not letting you come visit him is he?" Again, silence, "I'm sure there's a reason." More silence, "Emily, listen to me. I don't know what is going on with you and Nolan, but whatever it is, he would have to be a complete moron to not want you around, okay?"

"I just wish he would let me visit him." Jack could hear the defeat in her tone. He tried to decipher what was real, and what was part of her act. It was hard to tell. She had always seemed so transparent, so honest, but now he knew better. He wondered if he even knew her at all.

Slowly, he stepped forward. Emily was in Daniel's arms, looking the part of the distraught girl seeking comfort in the dotting fiancé. It made him sick, but he knew enough to keep his mouth shut.

Still, he was here for a reason. He told himself that was why he chose that moment to clear his throat and make his presence known. It wasn't jealousy, just timing.

* * *

_Two Weeks Earlier_

"_We have to get out of here." Jack heard Amanda say. _Amanda_. The name reverberated in his brain. How was this possible? He knew Amanda Clarke. He had _married_ Amanda Clarke. And now…_

"_Jack, listen to me. I know you must have so many questions, and I promise I will answer them all, but right now, we need to get you out of here." he didn't move. He couldn't. She tried again, "If somebody sees you here with that gun, even if you don't pull the trigger, security will take you away before you can blink. Best-case scenario, you end up in jail for the rest of your life. Right now, as far as Conrad knows, you may have died in that collapse. You still have a chance to get out of here. You _need_ to get out of here."_

_He heard her talking, and he knew she was right, but he was in shock. Seemingly realizing Jack was too stunned to move of his own volition, Emily grabbed his hand and led him back the way she had come as delicately and steadily as one would lead a scared, confused child._

* * *

"Jack." Emily said. Her tone implied nothing but surprise.

Daniel turned, his face less pleasant and welcoming than Emily's, "We're a little busy here, Jack."

Jack couldn't help the sense of pleasure that rose inside him at the jealousy in Daniel's eyes.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just hoping I could talk to -"

"_My fiancé _and I are busy." Daniel repeated with subtle venom.

"Actually," Jack said, stepping forward, as welcome as your fiancé's company always is, I was wondering if I could talk to Charlotte."

"Why?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"Well," Jack said, holding up the plastic bag he brought, "I brought some books for her. They were books my wife read when she was pregnant with Carl. I …" jack stopped, something suddenly occurring to him, "I hope I'm not saying anything I shouldn't. I assumed, I mean, Declan told me that, that is, if charlotte hasn't-"

"I know." Daniel said, cutting him off, "So does Emily, and mom. Dad doesn't. Not yet, but, no, you aren't, um, _outing_ _her_, for lack of a better term."

Jack sighed in relief, "Well, anyway, I thought maybe she could use these."

Daniel nodded, "I'll get them to her."

"Actually, I was hoping I could, if that's all right." Daniel looked at Jack skeptically. Jack knew that, in his eyes every move Jack made was just to get between him and Emily. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" he asked. Daniel turned to Emily.

"Actually, I have a phone call to make anyway. It was good seeing you Jack." She offered him a friendly, yet distant nod, which he returned.

Both men watched her leave, and once she was gone, Jack dove right in, "Look, I know I'm not your favorite person. I know you think I'm trying to get between you and Emily, and I know that what happened between her and me over a year ago was why you two called off your engagement in the first place, so I want to clarify a few things. First, yes, I did have feelings for Emily, but, first, that was a long time ago. I have since married and been widowed, and I loved my wife. I would never dishonor her memory, or the love I have for her by moving on from her so soon with an old crush that I got over a long time ago. Second, Emily never returned my feelings. The night we kissed, we were both very emotional. My dog had just died, and both Emily and I loved that dog very much. I was dealing with Amanda's disappearance, and Emily was having doubts. We were two friends who took comfort in each other, but that was all. Emily has never seen me that way, and while I did see once see her like that, I have not for a long time."

"Then why are you so obsessed with my family?" Daniel asked defensively. "If it's not Emily -"

"In case you've forgotten, my brother just died. But a small part of him is still alive, and growing inside your sister. Not to mention, Charlotte and I are the only two people who can understand what the other is going through." Jack closed his eyes to stop them from watering and took a deep breath, "She's the only other person who loved him."

Daniel's face softened, "Go on up. She hasn't really been letting a lot of people in but …" Jack nodded a thank you, and started to head up, but Daniel grabbed his arm, "Listen, Jack. I never got to say it but I'm sorry. For what happened to your brother. I love Charlotte more than anything, and if anything ever happened to her, I can't even imagine what I would … it must be very hard for you, losing your brother like that, and especially after everything you've been through." Jack just nodded, "And I know I haven't been the most sensitive either. It's just, I love Emily so much, and I know that I don't deserve her. I guess I just keep expecting somebody or something to take her away from me again."

* * *

Emily hadn't expected Jack to show up, but it as good to see him, even if they couldn't talk here. They hadn't gotten to talk much actually. She always thought that once it all came out, they would spend hours just talking, but it had all happened so fast.

* * *

_Two Weeks Earlier_

_Emily pushed open the door to the beach house. Jack had been silent the entire car ride. She was worried, of course, but she understood. It was a lot to take in. Soon, he would wake up from the shock, and then they could talk. After all this time, she thought she would be more prepared for this conversation, but she wasn't. She had been leaving Nolan messages at every stoplights, but she hadn't heard back yet. She really needed him right now._

"_So, you're Amanda?" She heard him say behind her._

_Turning, she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She tried to respond, but she couldn't. Hearing him refer to her as Amanda … it wasn't something she ever thought would happen. Trying to gulp down the tears, she just nodded._

"_How?" again, she tried to speak, but couldn't. She started swiping at her eyes, but Jack stepped closer to her and grabbed her arms, shaking his head, "Don't. Please." She looked at him curiously, "You don't have to pretend anymore. Not with me." She smiled at him through the tears._

"_I …" He was cut off by the ringing of Emily's phone. She looked at the caller I.D. Daniel._

"_I have to." He nodded, stepping away from her. "Hello?"_

"_Emily. Where are you?"_

"_I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling very well, so I headed back to the beach house, but tell your father congratulations for me."_

"_The Beach House? I figured you'd be on your way to see Nolan by now."_

"_Nolan? Why?"_

"_You haven't heard? Em, he was arrested. They're saying he was a terrorist."_

"_What? That's ridiculous."_

"_He didn't call you?"_

"_No. I haven't heard from him in hours."_

"_Well, I was going to head over there, because I figured you would be, but if you aren't feeling well, I'll just-"_

"_No, I'll … I'll meet you there. Missing a victory party is one thing, bailing on a friend who has been wrongfully arrested is another. I'll see you in a few minutes."_

"_Okay. I love you."_

_Emily glanced at Jack, "You too. By." She closed her phone, then turned to Jack. All traces of tears were gone now. "That was Daniel. He said Nolan was arrested for acts of terrorism. If you ask me, this has Grayson written all over it." He just looked at her, "I'm sorry Jack. I have to go. I promise, I will answer all of your questions, but Nolan-"_

_Jack nodded, "I understand. Go on."_

_She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote an address on it. "You should hide out here for now." She said, handing him a house key, which he took, confused. _

_It was the key to Aiden's place. Now that Aiden had left, the place would serve as a perfect safe house. She was fairly certain he left the country; if Nolan was on the hook for everything, they would have let Aiden go, and after how they left things, she could hardly expect him to stick around. Aiden's place had been there haven; a tiny piece of paradise nobody knew about where she could just be Amanda Clarke without fear of exposure. It was the perfect hideout, but it had also been there place, and she felt a twinge of guilt offering it up to Jack as _his _hideout. After all, her feelings for Jack were a part of why Aiden had left._

_But she couldn't worry about that now, not with Nolan becoming the next David Clarke and the Graysons after Jack. Mentally shaking herself, she continued to instruct Jack, using the same calm determination she had when instructing Nolan every time they (she) had planned something. She was wearing the persona of Emily Thorne, cold and calculating mistress of revenge. Jack had never seen that side of her, but it was what he needed right now, and she sure as hell was not going to lose anybody else._

"_The Grayson's not knowing if you're alive or dead is your greatest advantage right now. There are only three people who know about this place, one is me, one is apparently in jail, and one just left the country. I'll come and join you as soon as I can. I promise. Take my car." She handed him the keys, and her eyes met his. He was a mess right now, but he was still Jack. She couldn't lose him. "Be careful Jack."_

* * *

"Hi." She turned at his voice.

"Jack." She said, the tenderness plain in her voice. Then she shook herself. "How's Charlotte." He looked at her curiously, so she elaborated, "She won't really see anybody but I figured she would see you. You're his brother, after all."

"You're her-"

"She doesn't know that." Emily said quickly.

"No?" She shook her head, "Oh, well, that's good to know."

"So, did you two have a good talk?"

"We didn't really talk. Mostly, we just comforted each other. Tears, and hugging."

"I'm so sorry Jack."

He offered her a small smile, "Listen, I know you've got a lot going on, with Nolan and Daniel, but, like you said, I know where to find you, and, if you maybe have any upcoming openings in you're schedule," Emily held her breath. She had a feeling she knew where he was going, but she needed to be sure. She needed him to say it. "I'm ready. To talk. When you are."

She nodded. "Meet me at the safe house in two hours." Jack nodded.

* * *

_Two Weeks Earlier_

_Once Emily left, Jack headed to her car, and put the address into her GPS. He was still trying to wrap his mind around all of this. Forget the huge elephant in the room, there was_ everything _that had just happened in there. How vulnerable she had been, how hard she had been crying, and how the second Daniel had called, she had just hid it all away. The tears were gone. She sounded fine, just like a typical girl talking to her beloved fiancé. And once she hung up, there were no more tears, and she wasn't the happy, in love girl nest door. She was cold and calculating, her mind on nothing but the task before her. She said the word Grayson with venom in her voice, and there had been no love in the way she had said Daniel either. She had so many faces, so many fronts, and Jack honestly did not know which one was the real Emily. Well, not Emily, apparently, but he wasn't ready to deal with that right now. And Nolan was in prison? How did this all happen?_

_A part of him, a very large part actually, had wanted nothing more than to rage at her, to let her have it for lying to him, pretending to be somebody she wasn't, for letting him walk down the aisle with somebody who he apparently didn't even know. And who was she, his late wife, if not Amanda Clarke? Who was this woman he had sworn to love, this woman who had borne his child. How could Emily let him believe she was Amanda when she clearly couldn't be? And how had she known everything? How had she known about the sea glass, and about their times on the beach? There were so many questions, so many lies, and Emily had been a part of them all. How could he forgive her that? And how could he trust her now? And what she had said about how if she had just left him alone from the beginning, was she responsible for what had happened to Amanda, to Declan? No, he couldn't believe that. Regardless of everything else, all the lies and the secrets, she wasn't capable of that. She would never have let anything happen to Amanda, or Declan, not if she had the power to stop it._

_There was so much he felt he wasn't ready to know, and so much he felt he needed to know. And he was angry, and confused, but he also knew she was right. Deep down, he _had_ always known, on some level. How could he be angry with her for hiding a truth that he should have seen from the beginning? After all, Sammy had known. The thought made him chuckle, despite the complete lack of humor in the situation._

_He was tempted to follow her. If Nolan was arrested, he should be there. Nolan was one of the only people he had left. But, as she had pointed out, the fact that he might be dead was his only defense right now. Victoria knew he was alive, but she may not have told her husband yet. If nothing else, her guilt might keep her quiet, however briefly. If there was one thing Jack knew about Nolan, it was that he put his friends first; it was no doubt for that reason that he had not called Emily after he got arrested. He would want Jack to go into hiding. So, for now, he would. It would be brief, but he needed to regroup, to process, to mourn. He needed time._

* * *

When Emily had come back, after Nolan refused to see her, Jack had told her that he appreciated what she had done, and he had a lot of questions, but right now, he needed some time to process. She had agreed, said he should have time to process, and that when he was ready, he could find her, and they would talk. He promised to keep her secret, and inquired after Nolan, and then he had left started to leave. She advised him to stay in hiding for a little bit, even after he told her Victoria knew he was alive, and he had agreed to hide out, but no longer than a week. It was probably better actually, that he didn't disappear. With Victoria knowing, it was only a matter of time; her conscience, or whatever similar creature resided in Victoria Grayson, would only keep her silent for so long.

Emily had left the safe house, the one she had to keep reminding herself was no longer Aiden's house, and she hadn't seen Jack since, until today. And now he was here, talking to her sister about his brother and future nephew or niece. A part of her wanted to run to him the second she had seen him, but she knew she couldn't. Daniel was there. And besides, Jack needed space, and she needed to give it to him. He deserved that much.

* * *

Jack took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing_, he thought, trying to keep himself calm as he stopped the engine and got out of the car. It was such a bizarre phrase, 'here goes nothing.' Whenever people said it, they pretty much always meant the opposite. This may prove to one of the most important, and the most difficult, conversations of Jack's entire life.

He had so many questions, but even though he had been going over it in his mind for the past two weeks, he still knew that he would have no clue how or where to begin.

He took out the key she had given him, opened, and unlocked the door.

When he came in, she was already standing there. She seemed a little nervous. Jack wasn't sure he had ever seen Emily nervous. But then, Jack wasn't sure he had ever seen Emily be anything, or at least, anything genuine.

"Jack." She said in that way only she could. It always gave him goose bumps. When she said his name like that, it felt like he was the only other person in the room with her, or at least, the only one she really wanted there. It felt like she saw him, somehow, really saw him when she looked at him.

He supposed that made more sense now. After all, she had known him longer than he had thought. Still, you could know a person your whole life and never, never truly know them. But it felt like she did, like she could see the real him when she looked at him.

He cleared his throat to speak, but nothing came out. He tried again, "Um, I don't really know what to call you." He said awkwardly.

She nodded, "Emily. You should call me Emily."

"Why?"

"Because, if you get in the habit of calling me anything else in private, you could slip up in public. Even when we're sure no one else is around, Nolan always calls me Emily. So did …" she trailed off.

"Who was she?" Jack asked.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Do I really want to know?" he asked, surprising himself with his volume, but not caring. They both knew anger would be a part of this conversation. Best probably to get it out of the way now, "Do I want to know who the woman I married, had a child with, and buried was? Yes Emily, I really want to know."

Emily sighed, "You know who you married Jack. You may not have known her real name, but you knew who she was. Her past was a lie, but her life with you, the person she was when she was with you? That was all her. You need to know how much she loved you Jack. Yes, she was dishonest, but sometimes, to protect the people we love, we have to be."

"Are you still talking about her?" Jack questioned, frustrated.

"Yes, and no. I'm talking about all of us. We're all connected Jack, her, you, me, the Graysons, Nolan, all of us. I know how important honesty is to you, but she loved you so much Jack. Whatever else happened, that was never a lie. She would have given up anything for you-"

"She did!" Jack yelled. Emily nodded, calmly. It was eerie, how calm she was able to be, "You still haven't told me who she was."

Emily nodded again, "She was my cellmate in Juvie; her name _was_ Emily Thorne." Jack nodded, "You read the letters I wrote Jack, you know how close we were. When I needed a new identity, who better to go to?"

"But … but she knew things. The sea glass, and the … how?"

"She had to be believable; I couldn't risk anybody ever finding out. I gave her diaries, worked with her with flashcards to memorize facts." Emily sighed and looked down, "She was never supposed to come to the Hamptons Jack, but once she did, once she told you that she was Amanda Clarke … there was no going back on that."

"When she first showed up, she said she had repressed a lot of things, that she was having trouble remembering, and then, she started to…"

Emily nodded, avoiding his gaze. She was ashamed he realized_. Good._ "Flashcards and facts would be enough to fool a reporter or a detective who went digging, but you, Jack, there were so many little details. That's when I gave her the diaries."

"You helped her lie to me. You orchestrated this elaborate ruse. You let me believe she was, that both of you were somebody else. I married that girl Emily, and you just stood back and watched it happen, knowing that our entire relationship was based on a lie-"

"No, Jack, that's what I was trying to say." Emotion, true emotion was creeping into her voice, leaving the calm behind. Jack had to admit, he liked it a lot better, "She loved you. She loved you so much. And I know you loved her, and not just because you thought she was me. Jack, you married a woman you loved who loved you back. You married the mother of your child-"

"If I had known she never would have even gotten pregnant! I never would have slept with her."

"I don't believe that." Emily replied. Jack noticed the tear streaming down her cheek. She swiped at it, "And I don't think you do either. That's not who you are Jack. You wouldn't just jump into bed with a girl, not unless you felt something, something real."

"I don't even know what is real anymore." Jack said, spreading his arms out in frustration, then collapsed back onto the sofa. Emily was quiet; she was waiting for him, "How could you never tell me?" his tone wasn't angry, or accusatory. It was sad and held a hint of surrender. "All those years, waiting for you to come back, looking after Sammy, praying I would see you again … I deserved to know."

She sat on the other end of the couch, trying not to crowd him, "I was trying to protect you."

Jack shook his head, "Don't use that as an excuse. You could have told me. You told Nolan, and I know you care about his safety."

"I never told Nolan." Emily said, looking down at her lap, "He figured I out. And besides, Nolan isn't like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Emily stood, "You're smart Jack. You must have figured out why I came back, and why I kept who I was a secret. You know what _they_ did." She flinched slightly. Jack watched her. He could see so much pain in her eyes. He had seen that look before, and not just in the mirror. He had seen it in Amanda's eyes on that old videotape, and broken, abandoned girl desperately trying to somehow pick up the pieces of her shattered life. His instinct was to go to her, but he stopped himself. Things were far from okay with them, and his strong desire to comfort her, to protect her, to wash away all the pain, it didn't change that. "Jack, what do you think I mean when I say I was protecting you?"

"From the Graysons."

She nodded, sitting again, "That's true. They are dangerous people Jack; you really have no idea. You may know more now than you did when we met, but you're coming to bat at the sixth or seventh inning, and you barely even know how to play. There's still so much -"

"It's not a game. It's my life. _Our lives_. People we've loved-"

"I know." She said, trying to calm him, "Believe me Jack, I know. I didn't mean it like that. This is so, so far from a game. And you are in more danger than you can imagine. The power these people have, the lengths they are willing to go to, it's twisted. But, that wasn't the only thing I was trying to protect you from."

"Then what?"

"You cannot take on twisted people without becoming twisted yourself. I don't regret that things I've done, though I do wish some had turned out differently, obviously. But that doesn't mean I don't know that what I've done…" she looked away again, "Jack, if you knew some of the things I've done, the lines I crossed to hurt _them_." She swiped at her face again. Jack wasn't sure exactly when she had started crying. "I'd do them all again, in a heartbeat. The people I hurt deserved it. They deserved to pay for what they did. But I'm not naïve; I know that in order to become the person who could do those things, I've had to leave pieces of myself behind. Pieces … pieces I will never, ever get back." She looked at him, holding his gaze for the first time. He fought the urge to reach out and wipe the tears from her cheeks, as he had once before, when Sammy died. God, that felt like a millions years ago now.

"I don't trust easy. After the life I've lived, I've learned that most people are in this life for themselves, and they will throw anybody under a bus to get what they want. But you, you're not like that. I may have lied to you Jack, but that doesn't mean I didn't trust you. I probably trust you more than I trust anyone. You are a good man Jack Porter, and you have no clue how rare that is. You put others first … I always wondered how you would react when you found out the truth, and I thought of two scenarios. In one, you wouldn't accept me, what I had done, that the Graysons deserve this, and in another, you would. And honestly, I don't know which one scared me more. I didn't want you to lose yourself. When I told you that you would be throwing your life away by pulling that trigger, I wasn't just talking about the police. Taking a life, a person can't come back from that. The Graysons are slippery, and you cannot get close to them without becoming something … darker. They have destroyed so many lives; I could not let them destroy yours." She found herself chuckling slightly through her tears, "So much for that. Some protector I was." She shook her head, "I should never have let you in."

"What do you mean, 'let me in?' Let me in where?"

She shook her head again, "Into my life. I should have kept you at a distance. I tried, in the beginning but, I guess, when it came down to it, I just wasn't strong enough to push you away."

Jack shook his head, "I don't know you well. So much of it was lies, I don't know what is fact what is fiction, but if there is one thing I do know about you, it is that you are strong."

"I really wish I could believe that. But right now…" she let the sentence hang there.

After a minute, Jack spoke, "I understand why you lied to me, but it wasn't your job to protect me. I could have handled it."

She shook her head, "Maybe now, after all you've been through. But, but that's not even the point. I didn't want you to have to handle it." She sat up straighter, "I'm not claiming my motives were entirely selfless and noble. I needed to protect my identity, and that more people knew, the greater risk of it getting out. And, I didn't want you to have to lie for me. I didn't want you compromising your morals-"

"But that should have been my choice. And you say you think I'm moral, but if you really believed that, you would have trusted that I would make the right decision."

"Jack, there is no right decision in this point. There are two paths, and both require you to give up a piece of your sole. Either you're the person who does nothing after finding out about a huge injustice, the person who turns a blind eye, or you're the person who seeks justice, and has to compromise certain morals to do it."

Jack nodded, staring at the rug. Finally, he got up and headed for the door. Emily stood as well, surprised, "Where are you going?"

"This is … a lot. I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to find everything out in one conversation, there's too much to process. I think that's enough for now. We'll talk more later."

"Of course." Emily said, even though it wasn't a question. "Jack," Emily said, stopping him at the door, "Are things between us every going to be okay?"

Jack took a deep breath, and then blew it out, "I don't know."

She nodded as she watched him walk out. Once he was gone, she reached for the phone to call Nolan, but then remembered she couldn't. She threw it against the wall as she dried her tears.

* * *

Nolan sat there, waiting. He had left a message, asking her to come see him, but he had no clue whether she would or not. It was a risky bet.

Emily had tried to see him again today. He hated that he had to say no when they asked him to come and talk to her. He hated pushing her away like this. He was doing the same with Jack, who, while he hadn't tried as many times, had also attempted to pay Nolan a visit.

He missed them, both of them, so very much. He missed Emily, her cold stares and bright smiles. He missed how she always had the answers. He could use that right about now.

She came in, sat down a across from him and picked up the phone, "Nolan Ross."

He smiled wryly at her. "In the orange clad flesh."

"I was rather surprised when you called me." She said, pushing her long brown hair back, "I heard you haven't even let Jack see you, and suddenly, you're calling me down here."

"Where did you hear that?" Nolan asked.

"The source."

"That's still going on?"

"What is?" He didn't say anything, examining the British socialite that Jack, for some reason, seemed to trust.

Squirming slightly under his scrutiny, Ashley cleared her throat, bringing him back to their conversation, "I know Jack is one of your best friends, and you and I have never exactly been that close."

Nolan nodded, leaning forward, "And that, is exactly why I called you down here." She looked at him, confused, "Are you still working for The Evil Empire?"

She sat back, surprised, "Of course."

"Well, excuse me for being curious, but considering how many times you've been fired, and your recent alliance with the aforementioned Jack, it wouldn't be the most bizarre thing if you were once again sent to the streets."

"Well, I haven't been, and, as I said, we aren't friends. The only reason I came down here was curiosity, but that might not be enough to keep me down here much longer, so please just get to the point."

"As you wish. I want you to deliver a message for me, to your employers, and to certain blondes associated with them."

"You mean Emily?" she clarified, making Nolan cringe.

"I want you to tell them that I can handle my own legal matters, and I'd prefer if they would just back off."

"You want me to tell them to drop off of your case?"

Nolan shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, "I have a lawyer, and he is more than capable. I'm taking care of it, and I don't need help. Not from anybody."

Ashley shook her head, confused, "There seems to be a very strong case against you. If I were you, I would take all the help I can get."

Nolan scoffed at her suggestion. As if there was any helping him now. He was a little baby trout caught in a fisherman's net, doomed to live in fear until the deed was done and he was dinner. All he could do now was hope the other fish would stop trying to save him and start swimming in a different direction.

"I have it covered, Ashley. And I didn't ask for advice. All I want is for members of those two soon to be merged families to stop offering their services on any legal, or other matters."

Ashley nodded, "Well, I'll pass on the message, but I can hardly control what they'll do."

Nolan nodded, "That's all I ask."

Ashley hung up the phone and walked out. Nolan watched her go, wanting to call after her. There were so many things he wished h could say. He wanted to ask how Jack was doing, and if she'd seen much of Emily. He wanted her to tell them how much he missed them, and how much they meant to him. But he couldn't. He knew that. Once, on the other side of a window not unlike this one, he had promised a very special man that he would look after his daughter. And he had promised himself that he would look after her, and Jack. Right now, there was no other way. He just wished he could have said goodbye.

* * *

Daniel was waiting for Emily when she got home. He had covered her beach house with rose petals and candles.

"What's all this?"

He turned to her, smiling, "I know you've been having a rough time lately. Everything with Nolan, having to postpone Paris, dealing with your idiot of a fiancé who you are clearly way to good for," she chuckled, "I thought you could use a night to just relax."

She smiled, "That sounds nice."

"I made dinner. I'll be right back. You just relax. Watch some TV."

Taking Daniel's advice, Emily plopped down on the couch and turned on the news.

"In other news, the body of business man and former terrorist suspect, Aiden Mathis, was discovered by -"

Emily's face went white.

"Okay, well, the chicken will take a few more minutes, but I have two flutes of champagne," Daniel said, carrying said to flutes out. He handed her one and settled in next to her, "What are we watching?"

Before she could answer, Daniel saw the screen, and his face grew white as well, though for completely different reasons.

"-currently no suspects, doctors have determined that Mr. Mathis was killed roughly two weeks-"

"Oh my god." Daniel said, turning to Emily.

"Do you think it was that group?" Emily asked, "The one that was threatening you?"

Daniel nodded, "Probably." She nodded. Then, he stood, "I am such an idiot. I totally forgot. I was supposed to go in to Grayson Global. Something involving the rebuilding."

"At eight o'clock at night?" Daniel shrugged, "Can't it wait until morning."

"I'm so sorry. I promise I'll make this up to you." He said, kissing her on the cheek. She grabbed his arm, turning him around, and kissed him. It was a good, long, hard kiss. More importantly, it was a distracting kiss.

"Wow. Uh, what was that for?"

She shrugged, smiling, "Just because."

* * *

"We're closed." Jack said as he heard somebody push the door of the Stowaway open.

"Should probably lock up then, else you'll start getting unwelcome company." Ashley said humorously.

Jack looked up at her and smiled, "You're always welcome, Ash."

"Could have fooled me," she said as she made her way over to the bar. She dropped her purse on the counter as Jack started on her usual. "You've been incredibly distant lately."

He placed her drink in front of her and shot her an apologetic smile, "I know. But, that wasn't about you. I've just been … kind of dealing with something." He said

Ashley snorted, "Well, obviously. Isn't that how this all started?"

Jack nodded, "It's not that. I mean, of course that, Amanda, Declan, the Graysons, that's all still weighing on me but this is … something else."

"Would you like to talk about it?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink. Jack seemed to retreat a little. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but, if you do need to talk to somebody, I'm here."

Jack studied Ashley for a moment. Obviously, he couldn't talk to her about what was really bothering him. He trusted Ashley, but even if he felt he could trust her with _this,_ which he wasn't even sure he could, it wasn't his secret to tell. Still, he had been needing somebody to talk to. Desperately. Now that he'd talked to Emily, he wasn't sure if he was less confused, or more. He couldn't talk to Nolan, because Nolan wouldn't see him, and even if he did, Jack venting about this when Nolan was incarcerated probably wasn't the most sensitive thing in the world. After everything Nolan had done for him, he had to just be a friend. When Nolan was ready to see him, assuming that day came, he needed to be there for Nolan, not the other way around. As far as he could tell, nobody else knew about Emily. Besides, he didn't have any other confidants. With Emily, Nolan, and Declan by his side, he had never really felt he needed anyone else. He had three people who truly cared for him, and who would listen and give advice if he asked. Now, that was all gone. Declan was gone, Nolan was in jail, and he didn't even know how to classify Emily anymore.

Ashley, however, was here, and in spite of all he knew about her, or maybe because of it, he trusted her. She was like him, born to middle-class circumstances, but she had risen above. Still, she never forgot her roots, and she never felt like others did either. She wanted to be a part of that world, but as much as she wanted their life, she didn't really like the people. She knew they had no real respect for her and she knew that they never would. The feeling was mutual. She first priority was survival, but, just like anybody else in the world, she really just wanted to feel special, and to be loved. She wasn't perfect. She had done her fair share of backstabbing, and Jack did not doubt that she would do it again, but he also knew he could trust her. They respected each other, treated each other as equals, and for Ashley, that made all the difference. She had so much to offer, but they would never see it. He did though, which was why she liked him.

Still, much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't tell her the truth. At least, not right now.

He let out a sigh, "I know Ash, and I appreciate it, but honestly, right now, I think I just need a good old fashioned distraction."

Ashley smiled, "Well, you've come to the right person then. Have you ever played Shut-The-Box?" Jack shook his head, chuckling.

* * *

Emily fiddled with the device. It was so strange, listening to a bugged conversation without Nolan by her side. She tried not to think about it. Right now, she needed to know two things. One, was Aiden really dead; was it truly his body they had found? And two, if Daniel's reaction to the broadcast meant what she thought it did. She thought she knew the answer, but she needed to be sure. Despite being a Grayson, that was one line Daniel still hadn't crossed, and a part of her had hoped he wouldn't. She had cared for him once. He had been innocent, and she had seen the good in him. Those feelings were long gone now, as was much of the good in him, but while she would never feel for Daniel the way she once had, Emily still hoped he might someday find his way back to that goodness. It would never undo what he'd done; nothing could do that, which was exactly why she no longer cared for him, but he had been a good man once, and sometimes she thought he could be again.

There was nothing for a while, just crackling and background noise. Then doors opening, and then his voice, "_Dad._" She could hear it all in the way he spoke; the fear, the guilt. She didn't need to hear anything else. She knew. Still, she kept listening, if only to find calm in the guilt in his voice,_ "I think I'm in trouble."_

* * *

_Often, the search for validation is spawned from doubt. Validation erases doubt. The truth about an event can be validated with data or proof, but when it comes to people, validation must come from within. The absence of fact makes it difficult for one individual to define the value of a human being. We seek validation for the scars that we assume others would deem ugly, things we've done, things we've become. It is not a question of whether the validation is deserved, but of whether it is necessary. Without validation, we have little reason to go on with our lives. Even the most twisted still wish to feel validated, justified in their actions, validated in there own eyes. Value is an immeasurable illusion in the case of people, but if we stop believing in it, the self-deprecation will swallow us whole._

* * *

Author's Note: Hi.

So, first off, credit where credit is due. Shut-The-Box is a board game that I found on Britishgamesdotcom/index. I was going to just leave it with her saying he came to the right person, but I was worried it would come off sexual, and I didn't want that.

I have not decided yet if Aiden should be really dead or not (thought obviously Daniel has to believe he killed him either way). I like Aiden, and it is a little hard to believe Daniel could take him with all his training, unless he was really out of it, or wanted to die. He's not trying to avenge his sister and more, and he lost Emily/Amanda. His reasons for going on are kind of gone now. He doesn't strike me as the suicidal type, but he might not have any real fight left in him. Plus, if he dies, he won't come become Emily and Jack and, more importantly, won't get his heart broken when she ends up with Jack, as she obviously will. Jack and Emily have a million obstacles, and they will probably get more. They don't need Aiden too. Emily would never want to hurt him or break his heart, and she shouldn't have to. But, again, I like Aiden, and he is useful plot wise. Plus, do I really want to make Daniel a murderer? Bottom line, should Aiden Live or Die in this story? Any opinion?

Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please let me know what you thought. Have a good day.


	3. Chapter Two: Alliance

Author's Note: Hello. Thank you so much for your reviews. I was a little nervous about this story. I have never really written for this fandom before, save the one-shot _Old Friend_, which I'm not sure anybody read. I was relieved that this story did not suffer the same fate.

A special thank you to Guest of 6/7/13 for being my first reviewer for this story. I am glad you love it and appreciate your kind words.

Also, thank you to Anon of 6/10/13 (You are so sweet, and I appreciate it. Yes, that is what I was going for. That is very nice of you to say. Thank you. That's the plan. It is nice to know there will be somebody out there reading), and Guest of 6/15/13 (I know. They do not get enough love. Thank you so much.)

Also thank you to northcountry, cute and clumsy, and castlefringereader for reviewing. As you have accounts, I will respond to you directly, but as you were some of my first reviewers and I really appreciate the support, I am still mentioning you here.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. There will be a longer author's note at the end.

Chapter Two: Alliance

_An alliance is not the same as a friendship. Friendships are based on trust and mutual respect, at least in theory. In order to be allies, two people do not even need to like each other. Allies are brought together by a common goal and while a level of trust must exist, there is always room for doubt. As long as both parties are benefitting from the alliance, there is no reason it should not stay intact. However, the second either or both parties no longer have anything to gain, most allies will willingly double-cross one another in a heartbeat._

* * *

_Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Ticking my life away._ Coming up with the occasional musical mantra had served Nolan well in the past. Today, not so much. Another day in a cell, and no more excitement or hope then at any point since he had been arrested.

"Would you please shut up?" he heard a voice say, "I don't know what's worse, the constant humming, or the sound of hopelessness."

"How is it you keep getting in here?" Nolan asked, looking up at his fellow inmate and hacker.

"Maximum security means nobody gets in or out, but they hardly mind the mice playing amongst themselves. We're free to wander the barracks."

"There are far too many metaphors in that sentence."

Edith stalked around like a cat, ignoring his attempted insult, "You're off your game Ross. Sad, seeing how far you have truly fallen."

"As opposed to you, still thinking you're getting out of here?"

"I will. One way or another. I am too much of an asset. You could have been too, but you made friends with the wrong people."

"Actually, I made friends with the right people. I just care enough about them to want them to keep their distance. You'd understand, if you had ever had a real friend."

Edith stopped circling and closed in behind him, "What, like the one who put you in here? That must have stung. Nolan Ross, reclusive billionaire, so hesitant to trust, finally gives his heart to the exotic Padma LiHari, only to have her stab him in the back."

Nolan shot up from the bed and pushed Edith against the wall. He may not be the best fighter, and he certainly had nothing on Emily, but while Edith had spent past years honing nothing but her cyber skills, Nolan had been interacting with people. Helping Emily went far beyond utilizing his hacking skills. He had had to learn to defend himself à la boxing lessons, and the occasional instruction by one Emily Thorne, a woman who cared more about his survival than she would ever admit. She had taught him the trick he was using on Edith now, which was only fair, as she had once used it on him. He smiled at the memory of his first real encounter with her since her return to The Hamptons. She had told him that she had no problem taking him down in her got in her way. So much had changed since then. Now, she was the woman trying desperately to get him out, even though he knew how impossible that was, and how much she was incriminating herself every second she showed herself as a friend to a presumed terrorist.

"Never, ever, say anything like that again! Do you understand me? Padma was a good person; she was just scared. She was in over her head, and she was staring down the barrel of a gun. I do not blame her, nor do I doubt that she loved me, and if you ever so much as insinuate anything to the contrary, I will snap your windpipe. Considering I am already in jail for terrorist actions, I doubt I have much to lose, and as we have just established when we counted your friends on zero hands, I doubt anybody would miss you." He said calmly, hoping she wouldn't call his bluff. The truth was, even if he could snap her windpipe, which he was unsure of, he never would. Nolan had never taken a life. He was more squeamish than Emily, and if she couldn't do it, he certainly couldn't do it. What's more, he didn't want to. But who said Edith had to know that? He let her go, "Now go back to your own cell."

* * *

"Good morning." Charlotte said as she headed over to the kitchen area and poured herself a cup of coffee. Four heads turned in her direction. They watched as she grabbed a muffin, put it on a plate, and made her way over to the table. "This smells great." She said, indicating her muffin, "Who made these?"

"Um, I did."

Charlotte looked up, smiling warmly, "Emily, I didn't know you were here." her family and soon to be sister-in-law just continued to stare at her. "What?"

Victoria cleared her throat, "Well, it's lovely to see you Charlotte, but I think we're all just a bit thrown. You've barely left your room since …"

"You can say it mom, I won't break down. I haven't left my room since Declan died." They continued to stare, shocked by her bluntness, "I don't blame you for being skeptical. I haven't handled these sorts of things well in the past, but I realized that Declan wouldn't want me to spend my life moping in my room; he wanted more for me, and so do I. which is why I've decided to make some changes in my priorities." She turned to Emily, "I want to get involved. I know there are a lot of organizations you work with, ones that help. I was wondering if there was a place for me in any of them."

"Of course. What sort of work do you want to do?"

"Well, I was thinking I would like to help out disaster victims. I thought it made sense, considering."

Emily nodded, "I'll compile a list of the organizations I work with that help disaster victims. You can look through it and let me know what interests you."

"Thank you Emily. I really appreciate this."

Emily nodded and gave Charlotte an encouraging smile, "Of course. Any time. I'm just glad you're feeling better."

* * *

_Ten Hours Earlier_

"_Listen to me. I don't care how you do it! I don't care what it takes. Nolan Ross is innocent, and I want him out of that cell before summers end. Are we clear?"_

_Charlotte listened to her brother. She barely recognized him these days; he had become so much like their, well his, father. She heard the command in his voice, the determination. If she closed her eyes, she could picture Conrad screaming into that same telephone, and then shifting, as Daniel had to threateningly calm when he felt the moment was right._

"_Do you really believe that?" She asked, not bothering with knocking. Daniel's head was in his hands, defeated, but he looked up kindly at his sister's voice._

"_It's good to see you up, Charlotte. How are-"_

"_Do you really believe that?" She repeated._

"_Believe what?"_

"_That Nolan is innocent."_

"_Emily does." Daniel said firmly, but Charlotte just shook her head._

"_You're not that naïve Daniel. A year and a half ago, if Emily said Nolan was innocent, that would be all you needed to believe it, to fight adamantly and honorably for his release, just so you could be her knight in shining armor. But you're not that guy anymore. You love Emily, but you wouldn't just take her word on something like this, especially when you know how emotionally involved she is. And you wouldn't put both of your reputations at risk by defending a man who might be guilty for the injury and even death of many. Including Declan." Daniel looked away. Charlotte bit back the tears that threatened to surface as she thought of Declan lying in that hospital bed. Crying wouldn't help. She knew that now. What she needed wasn't time, it was answers. "Now I'm asking you, not as the girl who lost the love of her life, or even the girl who lost the father of her unborn child, but as your sister: do you honestly, truly believe Nolan Ross is innocent?"_

_Daniel nodded, "Yes. Yes I do."_

"_Why?" he didn't answer, "Who did this Daniel?"_

"_Charlotte, I don't-"_

"_Daniel, there is only one way you could know that for sure. Only one thing that would cause you to have the level of certainty you do. You know who's responsible, don't you?" He didn't answer, "Damn it Daniel! Declan is dead. People are hurt. The person responsible has to pay for this. How can you just sit back and-"_

"_It's more complicated than that, Char."_

"_How?" she asked, unable to keep the tears at bay anymore. _Damn it_, she thought. She hated appearing like a weak, weepy little girl. Declan had said she was strong. She needed to prove him right._

"_It, it just is, okay?"_

"_No, not okay. Not okay at all. You were such a good guy Daniel. You were the person I trusted most in the world, and right now I need that. Imagine if Emily had been in that building." She paused, waiting for her words to sink in, "Imagine, Daniel, if the person you loved most, the person who saw all your flaws, and still somehow was able to love you, to find the good, even when everybody else had given up hope, the person who brought out the best side of you, who was always honest with you and never stopped fighting for you had died in that building. Wouldn't you want to know … wouldn't you need to know why."_

_Daniel shook his head. It wasn't a no, more like an internal struggle to think of the right words, "Charlotte, I'm trying to protect you. You say I've changed, and you're right. I have, and stuff like this is why."_

"_I can handle it Daniel. What I can't handle is not knowing. So please." Her voice cracked. Maybe it was that, or the quiver in her lip, or the desperation in her eyes, but whatever it was, she didn't care. All that mattered to her was that something stirred Daniel, because what he told her changed everything._

"_It was dad."_

"_What?" Charlotte asked. It wasn't exactly shock she felt. As horrible as it felt to admit it, she could easily conceive their father doing that. She didn't know what it was exactly. But she knew she needed Daniel to confirm it for her._

"_He planned it so he could be a first responder, take advantage of the situation so to speak." She just stared at him, "Charlotte, I swear to you, I had no clue. He didn't tell me until after. And believe me, I was furious."_

"_So what are you doing about it?"_

"_What?"_

"_Other than trying to get an innocent man out of prison, what are you doing? Have you gone to the authorities?"_

"_Charlotte, it isn't that simple. I can't just-"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Don't you think we'd be implicated? Both of us? Do you really think we could just walk away? Do you think dad would ever stop trying to get back at us for it? Char, last time he was arrested, he was barely in there twenty-four hours. The guy's untouchable, and the people to truly suffer from the blow would be you and me. I'm trying to protect us."_

"_You're a coward Daniel."_

"_There's a difference between being a coward and recognizing when there is a battle you can't win."_

_Charlotte backed away, looking like she'd been slapped, "You sound just like him."_

"_Charlotte, please. You need to let this go. Promise me. I can only protect you so much." She shook her head, "He always comes out on top of these things, just like flight 197. He'll come out on top again, and if something happens to you, I -"_

"_What do you mean, just like flight 197?" Daniel was silent, "It's true then? The conspiracy theories? He really did it? He did it, and he set up my father to take the fall?" Daniel dropped his head. That was all the answer she needed, "And you knew?"_

"_Yes. I knew. Nearly ten years after it happened. What did you want me to do?"_

"_Expose him. Daniel, if you know he did all these things, how can you just sit back and let him-"_

"_Because you can't fight him, Char. You can't stop him. Either you're with him, or you're the next David Clarke."_

_Charlotte just kept shaking her head. She backed out of Daniel's office, a horrified look on her face. "I don't know you."_

* * *

Daniel watched Charlotte spread butter on herm muffin. The rest of their family was just relieved to see her return to the real world. And so was he, to a point. But he was concerned for her. Last night, she had been so upset, so hurt and angry. It had been worse even than when she found out David Clarke was her birthfather.

"Is everything all right?" Emily leaned in and whispered to him, "You look pensive."

"I'm fine." He lied.

"Daniel-"

"We'll talk later, Em, I promise." He stood, "Well, I have to be off." He addressed his family, his voice no longer a whisper. "Charlotte, do you need a lift anywhere?"

His sister simply shook her head, "But I'll walk you out." She added, pushing her chair back. Once they reached the threshold, he turned to her, "How are you holding up? Really?"

"I'm fine Daniel." She sounded sincere, but Daniel was skeptical.

"After last night-"

"What, you're worried I'll go all _Kill Bill _on dad? I was upset, but I'm not an idiot. You were right. You and I, even if we teamed up, we're not powerful enough to take him on, and putting myself in that kind of danger would not be honoring Declan's dying wish. He wanted me to be strong, and safe, and to keep our baby. I want that too. I just needed something to focus on, and now I have that." She hugged her brother and kissed his cheek, "You don't have to worry about me Daniel. I'm not the same naïve kid sister I was a few years back."

He smiled, "You know it's just because I want you to be safe. I'm not denying what he did was wrong; I'm just trying to protect you."

Charlotte nodded, "Now get out of here before dad replaces you." She joked.

Daniel drove off, satisfied that his sister was safe. He just wished he could say the same for himself.

* * *

_Fourteen Hours Earlier_

"_I cannot believe that you could be so incredibly stupid. Actually, strike that, I can. It's your mothers influence."_

"_I didn't come here for a lecture."_

"_No, you came because you want me to help you cover up the fact that you murdered a man in cold blood."_

"_I was defending myself." Daniel said, defensively. _

"_That's not how the media will see it."_

"_He was threatening me, and Emily. If I hadn't-"_

_Conrad stood and approached Daniel, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "Son, you don't need to convince me of anything. I am on your side, regardless of what really happened. I'll always protect you, and I'll always protect the Grayson name. Lord knows this family has seen enough courtrooms to last a lifetime."_

"_What should I do?"_

_Conrad sighed, seeing the desperation in his son's eyes, "Leave it to me son."_

"_But I -"_

"_The farther you are from this, the better." Daniel nodded and started to walk out, "And Daniel, I know you and your lovely fiancé have an 'always be honest' policy, but I'm assuming you're smart enough to know that policy shouldn't apply to things like this."_

_Daniel nodded, "The last thing I would ever want to do is lose Emily."_

_Conrad smiled. It was no secret to him that his son's fear of losing his 'true love' played a major role in motivating him, and if there was one thing Conrad Grayson knew how to do, it was exploit a weakness. Daniel knew it too; he knew his father would take advantage of him in a second. Regardless, if it meant he and Emily could live happily ever after, it would be worth it. _

_The lying, the cheating, the embezzlement, the secrets; each one gnawed at his conscience endlessly. But in the end, it was always about Emily. For her, everything was worth it. Daniel was willing to cross any line to keep her by his side. No consequence was too great. Emily was everything, and that was all he needed to know to ease his conscience about the fact that he had killed a man. _

_As he headed back to Grayson manner, his mind drifted to more important matters such as freeing Nolan from his incarceration. After all, Nolan was an innocent man, which wasn't something Daniel could really say about Aiden. Even if Aiden had not set the bomb, Daniel felt he had good reason not to trust the British businessman. And nothing eased the conscience for killing a guilty man quite like freeing an innocent one._

* * *

"You know, you spend so much time here, I'm thinking of offering you a job." Jack joked.

Ashley rolled her eyes, smirking, "Sorry, but not in a million years. I didn't bust my ass getting to the top just to end up working at a bar. No offense."

He smiled at her kindly, "None taken. But, you know, I'm not sure that's the right life for you." He leaned in, dropping his voice, "You're better than them, Ash. All those people at the so-called top. Working with them will never do anything but make you miserable."

"Gospel of Jack Porter. You should take notes Ash."

Both Jack and Ashley turned, surprised. Emily had not been in The Stowaway since before Conrad's election. The second Emily's eyes met Jack's, there was a palpable tension, though what it was exactly, Ashley couldn't quite place.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Jack shook his head, "This is a place of business. We're open, and we don't discriminate." There was an odd quality to Jack's voice; it was a cross between so many things, as though he could not decide whether to be cold and distant or warm and friendly. Ashley watched the exchange curiously. She had not seen Emily alone since the victory party, when her friend had come to her frantic, saying Jack was planning to shoot Conrad. Whether it was a ruse, or Emily had somehow prevented it, Ashley didn't know. However, it had not happened. Conrad delivered his speech standing tall and proud, and Ashley had not spoken with Emily or discussed her warning with Jack since. She had seen Emily of course, at Grayson manner, but never alone, and sometimes she thought that might be intentional on Emily's part. "What can I get you?" Jack asked, his voice still an uncertain cross between cold and friendly.

Emily shook her head, "A moment of your time. If you have it. I wanted to talk to you about something." Jack hesitated, "It doesn't have to be right now. I know you're busy."

He nodded, "Is it urgent?" Ashley heard the slight concern in his voice.

Emily shook her head again, "It's nothing really. I just haven't heard from you, and I worry. About you, and Carl." She paused, "I just want everything to be okay."

Ashley noted the look Emily shot Jack; it implied a double meaning behind what she was saying, and the look in Jack's eyes implied that he understood. She, however, remained clueless, out of the loop, and she really, really hated that.

"Things are complicated right now, but …" Jack sighed, then nodded, "All right. I'll stop by later."

"It's good to see you Ashley." Emily said after a moment. Ashley turned, surprised that she was suddenly being acknowledged in this conversation.

"Likewise."

"It's been a while since we've talked. I'd like to catch up, maybe have lunch."

"I'd like that." Ashley said with a nod. The truth was, she missed Emily. She had been the only high society woman to ever treat her like an equal. But then Tyler came along, and then there was Daniel, and things just got so screwed up. She did, however, remember a time when they trusted each other. Maybe Emily did too.

* * *

Conrad hung the phone up, frustrated. Why was it he always had to clean up everybody else's mess? It seemed his family was incapable of staying out of trouble. First Victoria killing Helen Crowley, and now Daniel and Aiden Mathis. He needed to get them under control, and fast. This did, however, work a little to his advantage. Daniel needed him now; he was dependant on Conrad until this cleared up, and he would be in his debt afterwards. Daniel's first legal struggle had insured his loyalty to Conrad. This time, Daniel was not being accused of murder. This time, Daniel was guilty. Conrad knew that that would change everything. Daniel was a fool in love, meaning he had too much to lose right now.

Conrad loved his son, but he knew that love only got a man so far. He would love to be Daniel's hero like when he was a boy. It would be wonderful to go back to a time when all he had to do was come home from work, lean down, let Daniel get on his back, and run around like a horse. But things had changed. Daniel was no longer just his son, he was a cog in the Grayson machine, and much as he loved him, Conrad could not afford insubordination. He did not want to lose the love of his son, but if it was the price he had to pay to insure they survived and thrived, he was willing to make the sacrifice.

"You wanted to see me?" Daniel asked, not bothering to knock before barging in.

"Yes. I got a call from Ms. Davenport. It appears she wants to speak with you."

Daniel scoffed, "And what could she possibly have to say to me."

"Old romantic grudges make a man weak son. You and Emily have reconciled, and you and Ashley are long past. If you're being honest with yourself, I think we both know she was never more to you than a simple distraction to help you get over Miss Thorne." Daniel rolled his eyes and Conrad sighed. His son could be such a petulant child sometimes, "This is business son. You need to learn to check your emotions at the door."

"What business does she have with me?"

"She said it involved the Ross case."

"What does that have to do with you? Why not contact me directly?"

"She seemed to have the bizarre idea that you wouldn't want to talk to her. I suggest you rid her of such a notion."

Daniel shook his head, "I still do not understand what this has to do with the business, or you for that matter."

"Relationships are everything in business; you should know that by now. Despite your personal feelings towards her, Miss Davenport is an asset, a powerful ally, and what's more, with her ambition, skill, and what she knows about this family, she could prove to be a powerful enemy." Conrad stood and straightened his tie, "I have it on good authority that she had made a recent alliance with Jack Porter. Your mother and I were never more than a means to an end for her, but, despite her ambitions and her indiscretions, I believe she had true feelings for you once. We cannot afford to have her turn against us. You would be wise to rekindle your friendship with her."

"Dad, I'm engaged. I love Emily, I'm certainly not going to-"

"I'm not saying you have to enter into anything romantic, or even sexual with her. I'm simply suggesting you regain her loyalty. What means you use to do so, that's up to you." Conrad started for the door, "Remember son, you, more than any of us, cannot afford an enemy right now. You have far too much to lose."

* * *

Emily felt ready to scream. She had no clue how to do this; that's what Nolan had been for. That's why he had been useful. _Well, not just that._ She found herself becoming furious. She had not wanted his help. He had continuously fought his way in until he was invaluable. He had said they were family, positioned himself in her life as the only real family she had left. And now he was shutting her out. She had been to that prison at least a dozen times since his arrest, and every time, she was told that he refused to see her.

She wanted to scream, but she wouldn't. If there was one thing Emily knew, it was how to be in control. She couldn't risk that now. Especially since it was very likely she would be in mourning soon, and she would have to pretend all was fine. But first, she needed to know for sure. They had found a body that fit Aiden's description, and based on what she overheard him telling Conrad, Daniel clearly believed he had killed him.

But that didn't mean Aiden was dead. Not necessarily. Daniel may be dark enough to kill now, but that did not mean he had the skill to do it. Aiden, on the other hand, was well trained and had taken many lives. The idea that Daniel could best him so easily was a little hard to swallow.

Except, Emily knew Aiden. She knew his will to live was driven by two main purposes: Colleen, and her. He had been to late to rescue Colleen, and he had already avenged her death when he snapped Trask's neck. As for Emily, it appeared that was over. He was no longer in a position to protect, help, or be with her in any way, and when they last spoke, he seemed to have accepted that that was never going to change. He had said an honest and true goodbye to the last thing he was living for. And if Aiden had wanted to die, or even just did not have enough motivation to live, Daniel could have …

Except that wasn't Aiden. Aiden was a fighter. Could she truly have robbed him of that; had she drained him of his will to live? Emily felt a stray tear make its way down her cheek. She swatted at it in annoyance. This was not a time to feel sorry for herself. Right now, she needed to find a way to know for sure. She had been working with the computer for twenty minutes. She knew it took far longer than that, and that she should not be discouraged by her lack of progress. However, she also knew that she was out of her depth. This was Nolan territory.

"Dammit!" She heard a knock on the door and froze. Who would be here at this hour? Daniel maybe? They were supposed to go over wedding plans tonight, but that wasn't for an hour or so; he said he had some stuff to wrap up at the office, "Just a second." She called putting her computer away and composing herself. When she opened the door, she felt her heart jump, "Jack? What are you doing here?"

"You said we should talk-"

"I meant at the safe house."

"Emily, come on, I'm not going all the way up there just to talk to you. That's ridiculous. I'm not in hiding any more, and don't tell me you and Nolan never discussed stuff here."

She smiled, "I'm sorry. I was just surprised. Come in." She stepped back, giving him room to go past her.

"I still can't believe it. This is your house." He looked around the place, taking it in, "I mean, it's always been your house, it's just…" She nodded understandingly, and he turned to meet her eyes, "You really did come back."

"Well, I said I would, didn't I? I may have lied to a lot of people, but I never broke a promise to Sammy."

Jack smiled an then looked down, "I, uh, I went to see him. Well, where we buried him. It was hard to find the spot. We probably should have marked it better."

"Do you want to sit?"

"What?" he asked, looking up.

"Sit. Do you want-?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sitting would be good."

He made his way over to the couch, "Can I get you anything."

"I'm fine."

She nodded, grabbing a chair from the dining room and setting it up across from him. A part of her wanted to just join him on the couch, let him hold her, but she knew that wasn't an option, "Is this how it's always going to be with us now? Awkward and uncomfortable?"

"Well, what did you expect?" When Emily didn't answer, Jack sighed, "I'm glad that you're back, and that you're okay, more or less. Knowing you made it out of all that hell and found your way back home … but you can't expect me to forget everything that's happened, either. These past two years, I can't just erase them and be glad to have my friend back. There's so much that …"

"I know."

"I just wish you had told me." Emily opened her mouth and Jack put up his hand to stop her, "I heard what you said before, about protecting me. I get why you didn't tell me. I just … I just wish you would have."

"I wanted to Jack. You have no clue. I hated lying to you."

He nodded, "I still can't believe I didn't see it. I mean, Sammy could see, you said Nolan figured it out, but I, who had been waiting my whole life for you to come back, I looked right at you so many times and I just … I mean, what is wrong with me that I couldn't see what was clearly so obvious?"

"It wasn't obvious. I put every effort into making sure you didn't see. And yes, Sammy knew me, but a dog's sense of smell-"

"What about Nolan? He recognized you."

"That's because the last time Nolan saw me, I was eighteen years old. Trust me, a lot less changes between twenty-eight and eighteen than between twenty-eight and eight."

Jack sat up straighter, "How exactly does he fit into all of this anyway?"

"Well, I don't know how much he told you about his connection to my father, but, when Nolan first started Nolcorp, my father was his first investor. He was just some geeky kid with an idea that everybody thought was crazy, but my dad took a chance on him, invested his own money into the project because he believed in Nolan. And it wasn't just the money. My father was there for Nolan, a true father figure, something Nolan had never had before. My father had everything to lose from getting in with Nolan, but he did it, because he saw potential in Nolan. He loved him like a son." Emily stood and started pacing. Jack watched her, "When my father was arrested, there was never a question in Nolan's mind that he was innocent. He tried to prove it, but then my father was killed in prison, so there didn't seem to be much point anymore." She turned to Jack, "I met Nolan when I got out of Juvie. He was waiting for me. He told me my father was dead, that I had inherited basically half his company so I was rich, and he told me my father was innocent."

Emily took a deep breath. Was she really going to do this? She had to. Jack deserved the whole truth. In for a penny; in for a pound. She went down on the ground and pulled the floorboard up, taking out the infinity box, "He gave me this." She handed it to Jack. He just stared at it, not sure what to do, "It's full of letters from my dad, telling me what happened. Pictures, all the research and proof my father and Nolan had been gathering to plead his case."

"Why didn't you show it to the police."

Emily just shook her head, "The Grayson's are more powerful than you realize Jack. The police can't touch them, not really. Besides, what's the worst they can do?" Emily's face became hard, "They destroyed my life, my family. I want them to suffer, like we suffered. Being arrested would be like penance. It would do nothing but clear their consciences. Well, Victoria's conscience. Honestly, I'm not even sure Conrad has one. We lost everything because of them, Jack. I want them to lose everything too. I want them broken beyond repair."

Jack nodded. A year ago, he wouldn't have understood. Now, he did, "I want to help."

She turned to him, surprised, "Jack-"

"Hear me out. I know you don't want me to get hurt, but at this point, I'm already in the Grayson's crosshairs. And I was already going after them. They took my brother from me, and my wife, the mother of my child, and now I find out about you. I want them to pay just as badly as you do. But, you were right before, I don't know what I'm doing. Not really. Not like you do. And with Nolan in jail, you're going to need an ally." He stood, "I'm not backing down. So it's just a question of whether we do this together or separately. Personally, I think it would be safer, not to mention more efficient, to team up."

"Jack-"

"You know I'm right Emily. And who knows, maybe, maybe this will help us get back to a good place." He paused, catching her eye, "I miss you. I'm still mad as hell at you but, I miss you."

Emily sighed, "Has Nolan let you see him?"

"What?" Jack asked, thrown by the sudden change of subject.

"Because he won't let me see him. And I need his help with something. I need to talk to him." She stood, "Maybe he'll listen to you."

"I … no, he hasn't let me see him."

Emily sighed, "Well, if you can find a way, tell him that the news is saying James Bond is dead, and I need to know if it's true."

"James Bond?"

"He'll know what it means."

"Does this mean … ?"

"I don't want you doing this on your own Jack. You're ruled by your emotions and your schemes are amateurish. What you're doing will get you killed … if you're lucky."

"If I'm lucky?"

"There are worse things than death Jack, trust me." Jack didn't say anything, "I need to get going. I have to meet up with Daniel. Wedding plans." He nodded, "I'll drop by The Stowaway some times this week. Try to talk to Nolan. Get him my message. And don't do anything else until we talk. The Graysons will destroy you without a second thought. You need to be smart about these things." She went over to the table and grabbed a picture book, "You came to get this. You forgot it the last time I was watching Carl, and if anybody asks, that's why you were here."

"Why would anyone-?"

"There are eyes everywhere, and the Graysons are right up the beach. Neither of us can afford for you to have been here without an excuse."

"Because of Daniel?"

Emily paused, "Among other things." She motioned for him to leave, took the infinity box back and put it under the floorboards again. When she stood, Jack was still there.

"Emily?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you can drop the whole cold, methodical thing for a minute and just … just be Emily."

"This is Emily, Jack. The girl-next-door thing was a mask. I thought you wanted me to be honest."

"I do. And, honestly, I don't think that's all there is to you."

Emily's face softened, "I'm just trying to make it up to you. All the lies."

He nodded, moving closer to her, "I know. And I appreciate it."

She gave him a slightly teary smile, "Do you think there's hope for this? Us? Do you think we'll ever be friends again?"

Jack nodded, swallowing as he met her eyes, "I'm beginning to."

The moment was interrupted by a knock. Both heads turned toward the sound, the charge that had been between them seconds ago gone.

"That's probably Daniel."

"Of course it is." Jack said.

Emily went around him to get the door. Sure enough, it was Daniel, "Hi." She said, sounding every bit the girl in love. She was smiling and any hint of tears was gone.

"Hey." He said, pulling her towards him for a kiss. She could feel Jack watching her, but she had a role to play, so she kissed Daniel back with all the passion and devotion he expected from her. When they pulled away, Daniel saw jack standing awkwardly behind Emily. His face hardened slightly.

"Jack."

"Daniel."

"Jack was just picking up one of Carl's picture books. He must have left it the last time I babysat."

Daniel nodded, "You know, if you ever need somebody to watch him, you might consider Charlotte. I think it would be good practice for her, plus, it might help her feel closer to Amanda."

Jack nodded.

"Yeah, what was that this morning? Did you talk to her?"

Daniel nodded, "I did, and, you know, I think she's going to be okay."

"Well, I mean, that's great but it seems a little … hard to believe."

"Well, I guess she just decided to stop feeling sorry for herself. You know, Declan wouldn't have wanted her to stop living. She's just trying to honor his memory. Plus, its not just herself she has to think about now."

Emily nodded, "Well, we should get going."

Daniel nodded, then turned to Jack, "Yeah, and I should, you know, also, get going."

Emily nodded at him, "Drive safe, and give Carl a kiss for me."

He gave her a polite smile and offered Daniel a nod before leaving. Daniel watched him walk out.

"What?" Emily asked, when he didn't turn back to her

"I just don't like that he's hanging around you again."

"He was just coming to pick something up."

"I know, its just … I mean, he's been through so much, and obviously, he needs his friends, and I know better than anyone how great of a comfort you can be, but it bugs me. And after all he's been through, if I have a problem with it, I'm an insensitive jerk, but, I mean, come on, it's Jack. "

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, come on, Em. He's the reason we called the wedding off in the first place."

"We called off the wedding because I was having doubts. I saw you change into your father, and it scared me. I took comfort in a friend. I don't know maybe, maybe I even wanted you to find out. Maybe I was looking for an excuse to break it off. And I'm sorry. I get how it would be difficult for you to trust me, but this is never going to work if you don't. We have to move past it, because if you don't trust me, I don't even know what we're doing."

"Don't do that, okay. Don't make me the bad guy. You're the one who kissed somebody else."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but, Daniel, I love you. I wouldn't be with you if I didn't. And if you can't believe that …I am not trying to blame you. If you cannot learn to trust me again, I get it, and I won't hold it against you. But that does not change that fact that, as long as you can't trust me, you and I can never really be with each other. And I don't want that." Looking down, Emily called on the stray tears she had been holding in earlier in the evening. "Just … just tell me what I have to do to earn your trust back. I don't want to lose you again."

He nodded, "If I said, stop seeing Jack, you wouldn't do it, would you?"

"Jack just lost his brother, and his wife. He needs friends right now." Daniel sighed, "But, he has Charlotte, and maybe Nolan. And if that's what I have to do to make things right with us-"

He cut her off with a kiss, "I know how much Jack means to you. The fact that you would give him up for me … but I can't ask you to. Knowing that you would though? That means everything."

Emily smiled. She had been hoping for that response. If he called her bluff, she could make it work. That's what the safe house was for. Still, it was easier this way, and the last thing Emily needed was more complicated.

* * *

Jack sat in the driveway, trying to clear his head. What was that in there? That moment? And then the gnawing in his gut when he saw her kiss Daniel as though he wasn't even there? How could she do that? And why did it bug him so much? He couldn't still … after everything, with Amanda and Carl. Those feelings were in the past. More than anything, he needed somebody to talk to. Except he didn't have anybody anymore. Declan was gone, Nolan was in jail refusing to see anyone, and while he trusted Ashley, everything with Emily was just too complicated right now. He couldn't risk it.

Once, he had had feelings for Emily. In fact, he had had stronger feelings for her than he had ever had for anyone. But then Amanda had come back, and they had a son and got married, and he had moved on. At least, he thought he had moved on. There was no question in his mind that he loved the woman who had married him and bore him a son. How could he not? She was the mother of his child, and she had given her life to save his. Emily had been right. Maybe he had gotten into the relationship because he thought she was Amanda Clarke, but that wasn't all there had been between them. She had been fun and exciting. She helped him relax and just have fun. She brought out his wild side. And she had been full of so much love. She was kind and caring. She had truly loved him. And he had truly loved her. He knew that for a fact. And he had thought that meant that his feelings for Emily … when Amanda had come back pregnant, he pushed those feelings away. He had to; he knew that. He had pushed them to the back of his mind and tried to convince himself that they had never even existed. Had he just been pretending all this time?

He thought about how angry he had been with her when he found those letters. He had found out the one person he trusted the most was lying to him, and he had never been so angry, or so hurt. He had never hated anybody that much before. It had been a betrayal, but that had only been part of it. It wasn't just that it was a betrayal. Yes, he had felt betrayed, and yes, he had thought that if she had been honest with him, maybe it could have prevented Amanda's death, but it was more than that. What hurt more, what made him angrier than being betrayed, was who had betrayed him. He was prepared for it from almost anybody, but not Emily, never Emily. She had always appeared to be on his side, and he had thought he could trust her. They had a connection, and even if he had never been able to define it, there had been something almost … almost sacred about the whole thing. To learn that of all people, Emily could lie to him like that, that she had been lying to him like that. It was too much. She was the person he needed more than anyone to help him get through what happened to Amanda, and losing her …

He needed to talk to somebody. He wanted to talk to Nolan, but he couldn't figure out how. There had to be a way though. Nolan was going to see him, whether he wanted to or not. He would find a way. With newfound determination, Jack turned the engine on and headed back to The Stowaway.

* * *

"You know, you don't have to tuck me in. I'm not five."

Victoria smiled at her daughter, "I know. I just worry." She leaned down and kissed Charlotte's forehead.

"Mom?"

"What is it sweetheart?"

"When you found out my father was dead, how did you cope?"

Victoria paused, thinking. She looked pained, and a part of Charlotte regretted asking, but in a way, her mother was one of the only people who could understand what she was going through.

"I learned to live for my children." She finally said. Charlotte smiled. That was something she could understand. "Goodnight sweetheart."

Victoria switched off the light and closed the door. Charlotte lay there and counted to sixty. Then she sat up and grabbed her phone, dialing the number she had spent the past twenty-four hours memorizing.

* * *

_Twenty-Four Hours Earlier_

_How could he be like that? She felt disgusted with him, disgusted to be related to him, to both of them. She didn't know which was worse, her father, the terrorist, or her brother, the coward. Is it worse to do terrible things, or to know bad things are being done and just sit back letting them happen?_

_Charlotte's phone buzzed. She didn't recognize the number. She didn't even recognize the area code. Still, something in her gut told her to answer._

"_Hello?"_

"_He's not going to change." A deep voice, computerized voice said._

"_Excuse me."_

"_Daniel Grayson is set in his ways. If you want to take Conrad Grayson down, you're going to have to do it without his help."_

"_Who is this?" Charlotte asked, looking around nervously._

"_An ally."_

"_What do you-?"_

"_I know the truth. I know what happened to David Clarke, and to Declan Porter. I know the role Conrad Grayson played in the demise of both."_

"_Listen, psychopath, I don't know who you think you are, or what you think you know, but-"_

"_I think you're a girl full of anger, which is justified. You've lost quite a lot. But you are also very ignorant. It sounded to me as though you want Mr. Grayson to go down for what he's done, or was that just talk?"_

"_How do you know that I said that?"_

"_Daniel won't help you. He's too much his father's son. Conrad has his loyalty. The question is, which father has yours?" Charlotte was silent. She didn't know what to say. "I want to see Conrad Grayson behind bars, for good. And if you're serious, I can help you." Her mind was reeling. She still didn't know what to say, "If you're interested, call this number back, but, I warn you, this is a burner phone, so it will only work for the next three or four days. Make your decision quickly, and be sure about it. Once you head down this path, there's no going back."_

_The line went down. Charlotte stared at the phone, quickly jotting down the number before deleting it from her received calls. Closing the phone, she placed it in her pocket and headed back to her room. She had a lot to think about._

* * *

"Hello." The deep, mechanical voice said on the other line.

"This is Charlotte Clarke. I'm in."

* * *

_There is no bond stronger than a common goal. Enemies and strangers will gladly form an alliance if the situation calls for it. While both parties will be safer if they keep their ally at arms length, only interacting when necessary, it can be difficult to prevent a bond from growing. The bond the allies form strengthens some alliances and weakens others. An alliance should never be entered lightly, because nobody is more dangerous than a former ally._

* * *

Author's Note: Hi. So, what did you think? I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it.

I know I have not addressed the Patrick thing yet. I do plan to; there just has not really been time yet.

As I believe I have said, I am really bummed that Ashley is leaving just when I was starting to like her, so I plan to make her a big part of this story. And who else misses her friendship with Emily? Hands?

In case it was unclear, I am a big Charlotte fan. I loved her and Declan so much. She is one of my favorite characters, and I was so sad when I found out one of them would be dying. I heard that someone would die in the finale, and that it would give a previously non-revengy character reason for being vengeful. Since Charlotte and Declan are basically the only two people who don't have a vengeance vendetta yet, I figure one of them must be dying, and the other would be the one left with reason to want revenge. I don't know if they're actually planning to have her do anything like this, but I thought it would be interesting.

Any guesses as to who contacted Charlotte?

I have some ideas about the direction of this story, a few surprises in store, etc, but I am open to suggestions. If there is anything you want to see, let me know and I will take it under consideration.

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you liked it and I cannot wait to hear what you thought.

Have a nice day.


	4. Chapter Three: Connections

Author's Note: Hi. So, I know it's been a while, and I am sorry. I hope you are still interested. I really wanted to post before the new season starts. I think it's safe to say this will be the last chapter I put up before the 29th. I don't know if you guys want me to keep going once the new season starts or not. Let me know. If enough people want, I'll continue.

Thank you so much to all who reviewed.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Have a good day.

Chapter Three: Connections

_There is a popular child's game involving a string connecting two tin cans. We like to pretend this is a telephone, using it to bring a neighbor closer to us. As we grow older, that string becomes invisible, and we have to rely on instinct to see our connections. What ties us to the people and things we need so desperately, and what power, if any, can sever that string?_

* * *

"I'm really glad we decided to do this." Ashley said warily.

"Me too."

The two former best friends exchanged smiles as they perused their menus. Each silently noted an air of awkwardness, but that was to be expected. There had been a time when they were close, and when they trusted each other. That was no longer the case. Ashley still liked Emily, and she hoped the feeling was mutual, but she felt certain that it would be a long time before trust was regained. She knew she had lost Emily's trust when she had gotten together with Daniel, and Emily had lost her trust during the whole Tyler ordeal.

It was hard to tell what Emily saw when she looked at her. In the beginning, Ashley had believed Emily to be a true and honest friend who respected and wanted what was best for her. However, over time, she had begun to doubt. Emily was a woman of means, and as much as she liked Ashley, it was unlikely she would ever truly respect her or see them as equals. She belonged to the world of the Graysons and the rest of the elite. Ashley may know how to navigate that world better than most, but she was still on the outside looking in and might never rise above. Best-case scenario, some day, Ashley might be nouveau riche; Emily would always be old money. There was a big difference. And, again, that was best-case scenario. Still, Ashley hoped there was a future for the friendship.

"I haven't been here in a while. Do you know what you're going to get?"

Emily tilted her head thoughtfully, "I was thinking I might go with the salmon. You?"

Ashley shook her head, "I think I've had my fill of fish lately, thanks."

Emily smiled, "I take it you are referring to how much time you have been spending at The Stowaway lately?"

Ashley nodded, "It will probably be a while before I order salmon. Seeing live fish being brought in and gutted, it doesn't exactly sit well with the appetite."

"Good to know you have no plans to become a fisherman." Ashley chuckled, shaking her head. She was enjoying the flow of the conversation. "Well, if not fish, what were you thinking?"

"Well, I'm still going the road of politics for now, working with Conrad, and I suppose I'll see where that takes me."

Emily chuckled, "Interesting. But I actually meant to eat."

"Oh. I thought maybe a chicken salad. I'm not all that hungry."

The waiter came over and took their orders. Ashley was about to start the conversation back up when her phone rang. She checked the caller I.D.: Daniel. Ironic timing.

"Just a moment. I have to take this." Emily nodded and Ashley headed for the restroom for privacy, "Hello?"

"Ashley. Glad I caught you." She could hear the fake pleasantness in his tone. He was a better pretender than he had once been, but Ashley could still tell. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"As a matter of fact, I was just having lunch with your fiancé." She paused, waiting for him to respond. He didn't. "But it is simply social. I doubt she minds my stepping out for a moment."

"Well, this won't take long." She used to be better at reading him. But then, he used to be worse at lying. If she was being honest with herself, Ashley still had some feelings for the young Grayson. However, mending her friendship with Emily was far more important than residual feelings. Besides, Ashley was not naïve. She knew who truly held Daniel's heart, and that she had been nothing but a distraction to help him get over the elusive Miss Thorne. She also knew that her betrayal of Daniel was unlikely to be forgiven. Daniel had forgiven Emily because he loved her, but he had never loved Ashley. She had not loved him either. Not exactly. She had felt for him, and the shadows of those feelings were what she felt stirring in her now. However, their relationship had been about using. He had used her for comfort as well as revenge on his ex, and she had used him for power; he had been a springboard to the top. Her feelings for him had grown during their 'relationship,' which was why she had stopped spying on him for Conrad, but she knew that his feelings for her had remained where they had always been up until she betrayed. At that point, all of his feelings for her had turned to disgust. It was a disgust she could hear in his voice now, much as he tried to mask it. However, his agenda was still unclear, as were his feelings about her and Emily dining together, "I heard you wanted to talk to me. About Nolan's case?"

"Yes I did. But it shouldn't be over the phone."

"I expected as much. It's a pretty high profile case. Can we meet for dinner?"

"Of course. As long as Emily is all right with it."

"Nobody is more concerned with his wellbeing then her. If anything, she'll be pushing me out the door." Ashley smiled at his humor, "How's seven?"

"Um, give me a minute," Ashley said, scrolling through her phone and accessing her planner. She had told Jack that that she would look after Carl, but that wasn't until eight, "Yes, that would be lovely Daniel. Where should we meet?"

"You know what? Why don't we meet at Emily's? You two have patched things up it seems, and, again, if it involves Nolan, I think she'd want to be involved."

She knew this was a test, but the message was for Emily too, and for once, Ashley had nothing to hide, "Excellent. I'll see you at seven."

* * *

"Who are you?" Jack asked. His brows knitted together in confusion as he looked through the visitor's window at the petite Asian brunette. She gave him a sick smile; Jack felt bile rise in his throat.

"Nolan is refusing most all visitors. I was simply kind enough to offer to take his place." It didn't take a genius to know there was nothing kind about this girl. Not that Jack had been trusting his instincts in regards to others lately.

"And you are …?"

"A cellmate … of sorts. I have had the _pleasure_ of getting to know your friend very well. Quite the charmer, minus the charm."

Jack let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "I want to talk to Nolan."

"Well, sorry puppy-dog-eyes; Nolan doesn't want to talk to you."

"Too bad. Enough time has passed, and I need to talk to him, so he's going to talk to me whether he wants to or not."

"Yeah, well, while I respect your passion almost as much as I pity your desperation, I somehow doubt you'll be able to convince Tweedles Dee and Dumb over there of your plight." She motioned to the guards with a nod of her head. "I could, however, pass a message on. If you like."

"Why would you do that?"

"Maybe I'm just a nice person. Or maybe I like to watch the puppets dance."

Jack gritted his teeth, frustrated, "Just tell him that he's going to have to talk to one of use eventually." He said, standing, "I'll be back. Oh, and Emily says James Bond might be dead, whatever that means."

* * *

Victoria took a deep breath before knocking on the door. It was odd how self-conscious she felt. It had been weeks since Patrick reappeared in her life, and she had seen more of him in those weeks than she had of anyone. She visited him daily at the room she had arranged for him. Conrad knew nothing of course. Victoria had told no one of her son's reappearance. It was a very delicate situation, and she needed to handle it herself. Conrad would surely make things more difficult for Victoria and Patrick; she would like to protect at least one of her children from Conrad Grayson and the carnage he always managed to leave in his wake. She had explained to Patrick that keeping his return a secret was the safest course of action for the time being, and he had complied without argument. Mother and son had spent many hours since attempting to make up for lost time.

Still, a part of her felt it was all too easy. This was the child she abandoned to pursue her own selfish dreams; how could he forgive her so easily? She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for his anger, resentment, even hatred to surface in some form. As much as she hoped for his affection and devotion to be true, the life she led had made her paranoid, and for good reason.

Patrick opened up and smiled down at his petite mother. He was so much taller than Daniel or Conrad. He looked far more like his father than her, with his great height and blonde hair. At first, it had bothered her; she feared that whenever she looked at Patrick, she would just see the monster that had raped her in her youth. But all that had faded away the first time he called her mom. In his voice, she heard all the affection of a child, and nothing else had mattered. "I was hoping you would stop by." He opened the door wider and ushered her in. "It can get kind of boring being here all by myself."

"And here I thought you actually enjoyed _my_ company." Victoria said, a smile playing on her lips.

"No, just any other human being will do." he said, returning her smile with a mischievous one of his own.

"Well, the doctor in town is quite nice. If you're that lonely, why not just fake the stomach flu."

Patrick laughed, "It's good to see you."

Victoria nodded, smiling warmly at the son she had left behind who, ironically, seemed to hold less resentment towards her than the children she had raised and nurtured from birth to present.

Patrick hugged Victoria tight and offered her a drink. They sat and talked, forgetting the world around them. What else could possibly matter, beyond mother and son?

* * *

Charlotte growled in frustration before hanging up. That was the fifth time she had tried her mother's cellphone, and she just kept getting voicemail. Where could she be that required her to leave her phone off for over seven hours? Or was she simply screening Charlotte. That wasn't a very appealing alternative, though it wouldn't exactly be surprising. Charlotte had never felt herself to be a high priority on Victoria Grayson's list. Still, you'd think the pregnancy, coupled with Declan's untimely demise would garner her a slight promotion in that respect.

No such luck, apparently. Charlotte scanned the sidewalk.

"Charlotte?"

She looked up, surprised, "Emily? What are you doing here?"

Emily took Charlotte in for a hug that she very much needed, "I was having lunch in town with Ashley."

"That's nice."

"It was. Surprisingly. So, what about you?"

"Doctor's appointment," Charlotte said nodding at the building behind her. "It's my first one. My mom said she would come with me, but I guess she got … caught up, in something."

Emily smiled, sympathetically, "Well, I could go in with you if you want."

Charlotte shot her a grateful smile, "I'd like that."

The two girls headed for the doors, "What time is your appointment?"

Charlotte checked her phone, "In about two minutes."

Emily was quiet for a minute, "I'm sure she just got busy."

Charlotte nodded, "She's been very busy lately. There are so many things I want to talk to her about."

"Such as?"

"Well, for one, she's the only living person I know who's had a baby." Charlotte said, trying not to think about Amanda, the sister she barely got to know, and the tragic fate she had met, "And then there's some other stuff I want to talk her about. You know, family stuff." Emily nodded. Charlotte wanted to say more, but she couldn't. Emily was so nice, and such a good listener, but she wouldn't understand.

The truth was, Charlotte wanted to talk to Victoria about Conrad. She wouldn't tell her what she knew of course, though she was certain Victoria was aware of what Conrad had done. The question was, had she learned after the fact, or had she been involved? Charlotte was praying for the former. Conrad may not have been her biological father, but he had raised her, and losing him so completely now … she needed at least one parent to still be on her side. She needed an ally, and a stranger on the phone just wasn't enough.

"Bright side, you probably won't have to wait long." Charlotte nodded, her mind still elsewhere.

"Charlotte Clarke?"

Charlotte looked up at the kind looking nurse with the clipboard. Emily gave her an encouraging smile.

"That's me."

"Come on in dear."

* * *

_Jack was playing the stick game with Sammy. Sammy loved the stick game; always had. But this time, he was distracted. For some reason that made little sense to Jack, Sammy started running away from Jack and toward a blonde-haired woman carrying what appeared to be her dry-cleaning. He jumped up on her, getting mud on her clothes, but she didn't seem to mind. She smiled the affectionate smile a child would give man's best friend. It was a radiant smile. She was a radiant girl. Jack couldn't really blame Sammy for running off to greet this enchanting stranger glowing yellow hair and beautiful bright blue eyes. There was something familiar in those eyes …_

_Jack ran up, apologizing for Sammy, but the girl seemed content to pet the dog playfully. The way she smiled, the way she was with Sammy, it was all so familiar._

_She looked up at him, and the smile fell from her face. She was crying. Jack reached out to stroke her cheek, and next thing he knew, he was kissing her with everything he had. When he pulled away, Amanda Porter, his dearly departed wife stood before him, crying the same tears the blonde girl had been crying moments before._

"_How could you forget me so easily Jack. I gave my life for you." Jack stepped forward, trying to hold her, to reassure her, but she stepped back, out of his grasp. The tears falling from her eyes changed to blood, "I gave everything for you."_

* * *

Jack jerked awake, his heart hammering in his chest. He struggled out of bed and into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face. When he looked up, he saw a man staring back at him from the mirror. This man had tired, angry eyes and a bitter smile, lips not completely able to turn upwards. He hardly recognized his own face anymore._ But you haven't been so great at recognizing anybody, have you? _He shook his head, trying to dismiss the taunting voice in his head. So many questions, so many unwanted thoughts haunting him day and night, and not a person to turn to. Nolan, Declan, Emily, each for his or her own reasons was out of his reach; he had nobody to confide in. Well, he had Ashley, but there were secrets he couldn't tell her, which would make it hard for him to talk to her about them.

* * *

"So, who's James Bond?"

"Uh, British Spy in movies?" Nolan said, looking up at her voice. He was a little less surprised every time she came to see him. He still didn't get why, not to mention how she did it, but he was getting used to it. It didn't really matter anyway. She probably still had it out for him, but it wasn't as though he had anything to lose anymore.

"I don't think so."

"Well, I'd suggest you rent a movie to educate yourself, but I think that would be difficult from in here."

"I saw your friend Jack."

Nolan sat up straight, "What?"

"Just because you refuse to see visitors doesn't mean I have to, and it's not as though I have any of my own."

"Gee, I wonder why."

Edith rolled her eyes but ignored his comment, "He's a very sad, pathetic man. Haunted eyes, doesn't look like he's slept much in the last decade, and his hair has the appearance of a guy who is constantly trying to pull it out."

"You some kind of analyst now?"

"Anyway, other than insisting that he would find a way to make you see him with the most adorable desperation, he asked me to give you a message. Emily says James Bond might be dead. I considered not telling you, but, what can I say, my curiosity got the better of me. So, who is James Bond anyway?"

"I told you, he's a character in Brit Fiction."

"Nice try. Your eyes betray you Nolan; we both know that's not who he meant."

"I doubt he knew who he meant, though it's nice to know he and Emily are talking again."

"I'll find out you know."

"How, you have no resources in here. If you did, you would have been gone eons ago. Guess the Initiative dropped the ball on your jailbreak. Or, hey, maybe they just don't have any use for you anymore."

"Nolan Ross." Both of them looked up, "You have a visitor."

"Really. And who would be calling on little old me?"

"Senator Grayson." The woman said, stunning Nolan.

"Well, that's intriguing, but not enough to make me leave the comfort of lovely room here. I mean, the brochure when I checked in didn't even mention that I would be blessed with a view of the water fountain. Better than an ocean view property, although, you have been a little remiss with the chocolates on my pillows. You know, it's that extra mile that gives you the five stars."

"I don't find that amusing Mr. Ross."

"Well then you clearly have no sense of humor, because I am hilarious. Ask anyone."

The woman walked off in a huff.

"Do you really think it's in your best interest to antagonize the wards like that?"

Nolan scoffed, "If I'm going to rot here for the rest of my life, I might as well try to have some fun."

"You might not have to if you didn't keep refusing all the people who try to help you."

"Careful. I might start to think you care what happens to me."

* * *

"Boy or girl?"

"That isn't any of your business." Charlotte said to the stranger over the phone. "Why are you calling me on a payphone anyway? Kind of risky don't you think? Anybody could have picked up."

"Let's just say I have my eye on the situation."

"Are you spying on me?"

"I'm simply protecting my interests, which, as we both know, are also yours."

"Whatever. What do you have for me?"

"Careful. The coldness in your voice may be a sign you're letting your genetics get the better of you."

"I can be cold to a complete stranger if I like, and I'm nothing like my mother."

"You should be careful of the company you keep. Some people aren't the best influence on impressionable young girls."

"I didn't agree to this because I wanted a judgmental, cryptic Yoda. I assume you called for a reason, so tell me, because otherwise I'm hanging up."

"Conrad Grayson tried to visit Nolan Ross in prison today."

"What?"

"Nolan refused to see him. From what I understand, he's refusing pretty much all visitors, but he still tried."

"But why would he go to see Nolan?"

"Well that's the question isn't it? And as his daughter, you have the resources to find the answer."

"I am _not_ that man's daughter."

"Perhaps, but he still sees you as his daughter. And you can use that."

"I have to go, but I'll do some digging."

"Yes, best get back to Miss. Thorne. I'd be weary of her as well if I were you. She isn't exactly the most stable."

"Emily's a sweetheart. Anyway, this is a business relationship. My personal life is off limits."

"Dear Miss Clarke, all these things are connected. Don't you know that by now."

Charlotte heard a click, and the line went dead.

"Charlotte? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just trying my mom again."

"Don't you have a cellphone?" Emily asked curiously.

"Well, I thought maybe if she didn't know it was me she would actually pick up."

Her future Sister-in-Law gave her a sympathetic smile, "Why don't you and I go get some coffee. You can tell me all about what happened at the doctors."

Charlotte nodded and the two walked off to find a Starbucks. Whoever the stranger was, he or she was clearly wrong about Emily.

* * *

"Where's Emily?" It was the first thing Ashley asked, and it was a legitimate question. They were at Emily's, and had agreed that she would be here when Ashley showed up. In fact, Daniel had been the one to insist on Emily's presence. Ashley asking about her showed she respected that, which was a good thing. The only problem with the question was that Daniel did not have the answer. He had left Emily a message to meet him at her place around 6:00, but, so far, he hadn't heard back. Where could she be?

"She's running a little late."

"Well, perhaps you could relay the message. I'm willing to wait a little of course, but I do have an appointment at eight, so I was hoping to be out of here by 7:30. 7:45 at the latest."

"I said she was running _a little_ late, I doubt she'll be a half hour late." In reality, he had no clue, but Ashley's attitude bugged him. It was presumptuous, as though she was in control. And she wasn't. Still, his father had been right. He did not need Ashley Davenport as an enemy, "I don't think we'll have a problem getting you out of here in time for your meeting." Daniel added, trying to sound less cold. Ashley smiled, and the two stood around awkwardly for a minute or so, "Can I offer you a drink?" _Anything to make this easier,_ Daniel thought. He was so grateful when Ashley nodded. Casually as he could, he made his way to Emily's liquor cabinet, "You like wine, right?"

"Depends on the year."

Daniel chuckled, "Always the finer things." He looked at Ashley, the humor in her eyes, and he remembered a time when she had been a friend to him. He remembered a time when people had been more than a means to an end, when he had had friends whom he trusted. He knew how the world worked now, and it would keep him safer, but he would be lying if he said he didn't miss his innocence. Tyler, Ashley, his family, they had all destroyed his faith. He now knew that everybody had an agenda. Even Emily sometimes, though hers were often more selfless. She was the only person he still felt he could trust. She kept him sane, and he needed her by his side.

As if conjured up by his mere want of her, Emily appeared in the doorway.

"Ashley. This is a surprise."

Ashley looked at Emily, and then at Daniel, confused.

"I left you a message."

"Sorry, my phone died." She said, heading over to him and gifting him with a kiss. "I have good news though."

"Yeah?"

Emily nodded, "I went to the doctor with Charlotte, and her baby is perfectly healthy. She tried to let on that she wasn't concerned, but I could tell she was relieved."

Ashley cleared her throat, causing the happy couple to look up, "Sorry to interrupt, but I am on a schedule. That is great about Charlotte though."

Emily nodded, "So, what's going on?"

"Ashley said she wanted to talk about Nolan's case." Daniel explained, causing Emily to look at Ashley with surprise.

"He asked me to come see him," she started, causing Emily's look to go from surprise to hurt.

"Oh." Was all she said, but Daniel could hear the pain in her voice. He grabbed Emily's hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

"He wanted me to pass a message to you. Both of you actually." Ashley paused, eyeing Emily.

"Well?" Daniel asked, trying to keep the impatience from his voice. His fiancé was clearly bothered, and he would rather have this thing over and done with as soon as possible.

Ashley took a deep breath. Then, still watching Emily, she cautiously said, "He basically wants you to see and desist."

"What does that mean?"

"He says he has a good lawyer, and he doesn't want you involved in his legal matters."

"And who is you exactly?"

"Em-" Daniel tried.

"No. I get what Ashley's saying. And you can give him a message from me. I'm am not going to stop trying to help him, and I wouldn't even if he pushed me against a wall and threatened to snap my neck. You don't abandon family, even when they want you to." With that, she stormed out.

* * *

"Charlotte?"

Her head shot up at the sound of her mother's use. _I need to be more careful; it'd be easier if I had a lookout._ She thought. "Mom. Hi." She said, trying to sound casual as she stood up straight.

"What are you doing?"

"Can you keep a secret? Dad took my phone; too high bill I guess. I'm liberating it." It sounded believable, at least to her years. It explained sneaking around, but was mild enough to not make a big thing about. And since the company got drained, Conrad had been keeping them all on a shorter leash where money was concerned.

Victoria nodded. Charlotte wasn't sure if that meant she bought it; Victoria Grayson was nothing if not clever, and she knew more about subterfuge than Charlotte could ever possibly learn. But if she didn't believe Charlotte, she didn't question her, which was a good thing. Hopefully. "Where were you all day, anyway?" Charlotte asked, deciding it was time to deflect attention away from herself. Besides, she really wanted to know.

"Here mostly. And I ran a few errands."

"Must have been some pretty important errands." Victoria looked at her curiously, "I just mean if my teenage daughter was pregnant and the father had just died, I wouldn't want her to have to go to her appointment alone. Especially when I said I would be there. But hey, maybe that's just me."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry." She looked like she felt guilty. _Good_, Charlotte thought.

"So what were these errands of yours anyway?"

"They were …" Charlotte waited, but her mother didn't continue.

"Very enlightening. I can totally get skipping out on an appointment for that."

"I'll come to the next one, I promise."

"Don't bother. Emily was a better comfort than you probably would have been anyway."

Her mother's face fell, "Emily Thorne went with you to your appointment."

"Yes." Charlotte said, standing to leave, "Oh, and the baby and I are perfectly healthy, not that you care."

* * *

Making her way into The Stowaway, Ashley followed the sound of the soothing hums. "Jack?"

"Shhhh." Her friend said, smiling up at her as he rocked his son, "He's asleep."

Sometimes it seemed like Jack only smiled when he was holding Carl. It was a sad thought, so Ashley tried to push it aside as she returned his smile. . "Well, I guess that makes things easier on me."

Jack nodded as he continued to rock Carl back and forth. Then, he gently placed his son in the crib and turned to Ashley.

"Thanks for doing this."

Ashley nodded, "Any time. He's good company." Jack chuckled, "Out of curiosity, what do you plan to do with the free hours?"

"I'm going to try and see Nolan again." At the sound of Nolan's name, Ashley looked down awkwardly, "Ash, what is it?"

"Well, I'm not sure if I should be telling you this, but I saw Nolan."

"What?"

"He wanted me to pass a message on to Emily and Daniel. I just came from there actually."

Jack was silent. His expression was unreadable. Finally, he said, "What, uh, what was the message?"

"Just to drop his case and leave him be. I don't pretend to understand."

Jack shook his head, "But, why would he … he doesn't really expect Emily to drop his case, does he? She'd no sooner do that than …" instead of finishing his sentence, Jack simply made his way to a nearby chair and sat.

"Jack, are you all right?" He didn't answer. "I probably shouldn't have said anything."

"No, no, I'm glad you did, I just …" he took his head in his hands, "I guess if he's not seeing Emily, I don't have much of a shot."

"I'm sorry Jack." Ashley said, approaching him. She placed her hand on his arm, trying to offer comfort.

"It's fine. It's not your fault. I just … I need to talk to somebody."

"Well, I know I'm not Nolan, but you can always talk to me."

Jack nodded, "I know." He paused, "Ash, you know I loved Amanda, right?"

"Of course." She answered, surprised.

"She hasn't been gone that long. And maybe I shouldn't … I mean, is it wrong to … because I did love her -"

"Jack?"

"I just, I think there might be somebody that I … I did love her. And I would never … I mean, if I started to care for somebody else, and so soon after … I don't want to forget her."

"You won't."

Jack just shook his head, "I really did love her, no matter what, what secrets she kept or … I really, really loved my wife. And she gave her life for me. She deserves more than for me to just go on like I never even, never even knew her."

"Moving on isn't a crime Jack. And Amanda would want you to be happy."

"Somehow, I don't think happy is in the cards."

* * *

Once she was sure Daniel was asleep, Emily made her way to the dining room. She took out her computer, trying to channel her inner Nolan Ross. The basics were simple. She made a phone call to the local precinct, using an alias she had stashed for exactly this sort of situation. It was one of the ones Nolan had helped her set up. Amy Piedré, attorney at law.

She hadn't gotten much from the station, but she was able to make an appointment to come in later the next day. Before she could do any more digging, Daniel woke up and coaxed her back to bed.

* * *

"You've persistent, I'll give you that." Edith said as she examined Jack. He looked no less desperate than when she last saw him. Edith liked desperate; it was so easy to exploit, "Unfortunately, no amount of visits will make _our dear friend _change his mind about visitors."

The man before her sighed, "Did you at least give him my message?"

"The most I could get out of him on that account was that he can't really get to the movies from in here." He shook his head, "Oh, don't look so sad. I'd offer a conjugal visit to cheer you up, but you're not really my type." Okay, so, she didn't really have a type. She didn't have much experience in that area. Nolan's friend was sexy, or at least, he looked like he would be if he got a decent nights rest. But he didn't need to know that.

He just scoffed at her, "Still pining for the dead wife?"

"Excuse me?"

"I wasn't always in prison. I've read tabloids. I know who Amanda Clarke is."

He scoffed again, "Somehow I doubt that."

She chose to ignore his muttering … for now, "Any other messages for the grumpy blonde in the cell?"

"Yeah, ask him why he wants his case dropped?"

"Well, that one I can tell you. He doesn't want anybody getting involved in his case because he fancies himself a martyr. He wants to keep all his _oh-so precious _friends out of harms way. Personally, I think he's just full of it." A small smile crept onto Jack's lips. "You know, you're kind of sexy when you let yourself smile. Maybe I'd be up for those conjugal visits after all."

His face fell, causing Edith to smile, "Just tell him I came by. And that we're worried about him; Sammy's old owner and me. We both need to talk to him."

She nodded and offered him a salute, "Whatever you say soldier."

* * *

She only had ten minutes, but that was nothing. She may have gotten a little spoiled with Nolan, but that didn't mean she knew nothing about computers. She could get simple information out of a server; she had done it with 'Uncle Bill' way back when. This was child's play. Fingers flew across the keyboard as her eyes scanned the precinct database. She clicked a picture of the information she wanted and checked the clock. Seven minutes to spare. _Piece of cake_ she told herself, even if nobody was whispering annoying sarcastic comments in her ear.

"Ms. Piedré?"

"Please, it's Amy." She said, shooting him a kind, shy smile.

"Amy. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"That's quite all right. I found ways to keep myself occupied." He looked at her curiously. She held up her phone, showing him a picture, "Online Sudoku. Do you play?"

"I'm afraid I don't." He said with a chuckle.

She nodded, "No, you wouldn't have the time, would you. Horrible, the crimes in this city."

He nodded, "Now, what can I do for you?"

* * *

Patrick handed his mother another glass of wine, which she gladly accepted. "I'm sorry it had to go down like that."

Victoria shook her head, "There's no other way it could. With Charlotte, things have never been easy. Nor with Daniel for that matter." She turned to face him, her eyes swimming with affection, "My sweet boy. Why can't they all be like you?"

He wrapped his strong arms around her and drew her to him, letting her rest her chin on his shoulder, "Is there anything I could do?"

She shook her head, "If you step into the light, Conrad will bury you. He's the King Midas of Pain." She stepped from his grasp and grabbed her glass, downing it quickly, "And I his true Queen. It's no wonder things are the way they are with my children."

"I don't believe that." Patrick said, shaking his head.

Victoria smiled and stepped back into his arms, "Which is why you're my last chance."

* * *

"Ms. Mathis?" She nodded her head, "We were surprised to get your call. Most people wouldn't own up to being related to a terrorist suspect."

"He was never that to me."

"Of course." The man said, nodding empathetically.

"Besides, I thought Nolan Ross was the main suspect now."

"Yes, well, that's not really my area. I'm just a coroner." He led her into a room, "Unfortunately, we had already carried out your brother's instructions before receiving your call. He wanted to be cremated."

"Then what am I doing here? Why kind of closure could a pile of ash possibly-" she noticeably repressed a sob.

"Ms. Mathis, aside from your brother's ashes, which we have prepared for you in a lovely urn, there is also a letter."

Emily perked up slightly, "A letter?"

"Yes, addressed to you, written hours before he died. My guess is he knew something might happen to him."

She nodded and took the letter.

* * *

"You know, when I was outside these walls, I was never this popular. Maybe it's the solid colors. Simple, casual. I guess people go for it."

"Why would you tell Emily to stop trying to help you?"

"Okay, diving right in here." Nolan said, sighing. He hadn't wanted to see Grayson junior, but the boy's arrival proved Ashley's message hadn't quite hit its mark, and it needed to. It was okay to expand a little. Emily could distance herself a little if need be, and Nolan had absolutely no qualms about implicating Danny boy.

"You didn't see her face. Do you know how much it destroyed her?"

"I would think you'd be happy. One less subject to steal the attention of your princess. P.S., how are the wedding plans?"

"Ask Emily." Daniel said angrily.

"Look, you think this is easy for me?" Nolan asked, leaning forward, "I have to turn away anybody I remotely care about unless I want to risk them being implicated in this mess-"

"You're innocent!"

Nolan scoffed, "You're not so naïve anymore pretty boy. You and I both know innocence means squat when the wrong people want you to go down. Now, I suggest you do everything in your power to convince your fiancé to drop this, unless you want the wrong people sniffing around her, because I know how that it ends, and it's about as pretty as this jumpsuit."

After Daniel left, Nolan returned to his cell. _No Edith_, he discovered as he scanned the room. He was alone, in every sense of the word. So, he did the only thing that made any sense anymore. He grabbed his pillow, and let out a scream

* * *

Jack knocked gently on the door. He wasn't sure why he was here exactly, especially when he knew Daniel could easily be just behind the door sharing a 'romantic' evening with Emily. But after everything today, he needed to see her.

When she doesn't answer, he tries the door, but he in not surprised to find it locked. With the life she has been leading, it would be plain stupid to leave her home open. And Emily might be a lot of things, but she was definitely not stupid.

Sighing, he gets in his car and starts to make his way home when an idea strikes him. It's a long shot, but if she's there…

He pushes down on the gas, and doesn't slow until the safe house is in his view. He recognizes her car in the driveway.

"Emily?" At first, he isn't sure what he's hearing. "Emily?"

When he finally sees her, it pierces his heart. She's sitting on a couch, bawling her eyes out. The ice queen is gone, and all he can see is the girl he met two years ago, this innocent, pure angel he needs to protect. He doesn't even have to think, he just knows he needs to make her feel safe. He goes to her and grabs her up in his arms, making soothing shushing noises.

He glances at the piece of paper on the table. It's a letter, handwritten, and it looks as though it has been crumpled and uncrumpled ten or twenty times. There are tear-stains blurring parts, but he can make out most of what it said.

* * *

_Dearest Colleen,_

_If you are reading this, it means I'm dead. I'm sorry for that. Your pretty blonde head has lost too many already. _

_There is only one way to stop the loss, and you already know what it is, but I know there is nothing I can do or say to make you change your mind. And I understand. You and I know pain in a way no others can, just as I knew __Colleen__, would be the girl looking for me when I turned up on some beach or wherever I may have surfaced._

_When we last spoke, I wished you well, and I take that wish to my grave. Sometimes, I truly hated you, but only because of how truly I loved you, and always will, even in death._

_All My Love,_

_~Aiden_

* * *

He didn't know who Aiden was, though the name sounded familiar, but it didn't matter much. What mattered was how desperately Emily was clinging to him, the inhuman volume of tears pouring down her cheeks. What mattered now was that she needed him. And in spite of everything, he intended to be here for her.

* * *

_We never know why we feel connections. Usually, it is because we see something of ourselves in that person. Maybe they remind us of the person we once were, or the person we wish we could be. But there is a desperation to be connected, to find something or somebody we can feel close to. We'll go to any length we must to find that connection, even if we know we're unlikely to ever find what we're looking for. To feel connected is to feel whole. The downside is, if we do connect, and the string gets broken, we risk never feeling whole again._

* * *

Author's Note: So, what did you think? I'm anxious to hear.

The Patrick stuff is based a little on spoilers of their unique 'relationship,' as well as his physical appearance (when they said Patrick, I kept picturing a red-head. Oh well), but most everything else is me. I hope you liked it.


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